Through the Looking Glass
by Goldenwriter16
Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is a story idea that I wrote once, but due to unfortunate occurrences that led to this story idea and several others to be deleted from my laptop, I have essentially given up on writing this story idea. I should probably get to the story idea, right? Rather than just rambling about the story creation.**

 **Through the Looking Glass**

 **Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

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The Fate of Bloom

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Chapter 1

Perhaps the walls of the palace were too thin, Stella mused to herself, trying not to pay too much attention to her parents in the other room. But it was also entirely possible that her parents were making sure she could hear them arguing. That possibility made her wince, it wasn't like she wanted her parented to argue, she didn't. She wanted them to be happy, like they were when she was younger. Things seemed much simpler than, not when her parents were on the verge of falling apart.

Falling-apart-marriage or not she expected them to at least be in the same room when she was going to leave and not return until one of the many breaks. She might not see them for weeks, and instead, they chose to spend the time in the room next door, arguing about what she was doing with her life. Stella twisted the ring of Solaria back and forth around her finger, trying to not scream, and checked the time on her phone, half-hoping she still had time to leave. But it had been fifteen minutes since she had told her parents she was leaving in ten, and she had pushed her limits as far as possible.

She had extended the invitation to them, and it was not her fault they had chose to argue instead of at least see her off. Stella sighed, pushing herself off the wall she was leaning against, running her hands over her ripped skinny jeans and dusting her crop top off. She slid her gaze one last time to the door, half-expecting her parents to fall through the door and stiffly hug her goodbye. But, her parents were too caught up in themselves to realize she was leaving.

"Tell them I said goodbye." She ordered the two guards standing by the door, one of the guards sent her a sympathetic look before he went back to being just another one of the ranks. "Ring of Solaria." Stella exclaimed, twisting the ring off her finger and throwing it into the air. In a brilliant flash of light, the scepter fell into her waiting hands, the metal warm against her palms. She waited a minute, hoping her parents had heard her in their rage and were coming into the room.

Disappointedly she gripped the scepter tighter, pointing it diagonally at a spot on the wall and envisioning the purple looming towers of Cloud Tower. The bridge that separated the island a few meters from rock formations and how the tower seeped to hover, the purple-colored windows that decorated the purple colored walls. Fog hovering around the school creating an ominous air.

Stella opened her eyes, seeing an orange portal appear in the wall and grabbed her bag, carrying several miniaturized bags, before walking to the portal, throwing a single glance over her shoulder. In the magic of the portal she almost felt free, the same feeling she got from flying, when it was just her and the magic flowing through her veins, like the entire universe was melting away just for her.

Suddenly the portal was not in her control anymore and the orange color quickly became a deep purple, Stella gripped her scepter tighter, anticipation coursing through her veins as she waited for the end of the portal. Clenching her jaw, she saw several red spindly creatures materializing inside of the portal and starting to chase her down the purple tunnel. Stella didn't know what to do for a minute, trying to regain control of the portal would be pointless, the caster had been strong enough to place ghouls in a portal that wasn't theirs.

But, perhaps she could deposit them somewhere that would put her at an advantage, well give her more than what she had with the lack of sunlight created inside of the portal. Stella closed her eyes, trying to think of nearby planets, the portal was whirling all around the Magic Dimension. Gritting her teeth, she pictured a green grassy field, hot and humid air with plenty of sunlight.

The portal whooshed, making her stomach flip, before dumping her and the ghouls unceremoniously into a circle created by trees. The ghouls hissed at the violent blast of sunlight before they regained their purpose and began to prowl towards her. Stella quickly pushed herself off of the ground, kicking away a ghoul that got far too close for her liking. Now that she was back in the sunlight, she could feel her energy slowly returning.

"I don't think so." Stella growled, using her magic to burn away the ghouls that dared to touch her, the red spindly creature was flung against a tree, limbs flying, before disappearing in a poof. Stella smirked, but her smirk slipped immediately as purple smoke filled the area and she shielded her eyes before looking up. Above her was a large and yellow ogre wearing blue overalls that were splotched with stains from substances Stella did not want to think about.

The ogre smirked, teeth almost-matching his skin color, his eyes glowing red with a spell cast by witches working together. Stella winced at the foul stench that quickly filled her nose from his body odor, trying not to pinch her nose shut, before glaring down the ogre. He was at least twice her height but that would not stop her. She had not been in-training to be a fairy for a year to learn nothing.

But even with that training, her odds were slipping through her fingers as more and more ghouls appeared behind him. There were four surrounding her and seven surrounding him, eleven in total. "Twelve against one, hardly seems fair." Stella said, placing her scepter down to absorb more sunlight but to appear like it was casual she leaned against the scepter. So far, the ghouls were waiting for the word from the ogre.

Laughing the ogre walked forward, footsteps slightly clumsy. "Scared princess. Don't worry, we'll make your demise quick and painless." The ogre boomed, voice echoing. Stella winced, quickly casting a sound barrier around so no non-magicals could hear them. Sound was not her strong-point so any magical would be able to see through the barrier, but the only reason Stella cast it was because she didn't know where they were.

"Oh, I meant that it hardly seemed fair for you." Stella smirked, waving her hand in a dismissive manner, dismissing his presence. It probably wasn't smart to challenge an ogre armed with ghouls, but she didn't really have much of a choice without dragging anyone else into the fray. Taunting them was the next best thing. The ogre didn't say anything but pointed at her and the ghouls started to lunge.

Sticking the scepter into the ground and putting her hands together, Stella conjured an orange-colored sphere and threw it at the ghouls, blasting several of them back but the other ones kept coming. One of the ghouls reached a claw out, trying in vain to wrap it around her ankle, but Stella grabbed the sunlight charged scepter, feeling the magic travel up and down the magical metal, and dropped it to the ground. A large wave of light magic travel through the ground, throwing the ghouls that surrounded her back.

Stella gripped her scepter tighter feeling her magic pool out around her, trying to intimidate the ogre and ghouls. "I am Stella, witch of the sun and moon, so back off." Stella proclaimed, releasing more waves of her magic so that she was glowing in the sunlight filtering through the trees. The magic in her veins buzzed with anticipation, waiting to be released but Stella held on, waiting for the perfect moment.

The ogre stuck a hand out and grabbed one of the ghouls, clenching his hand into a fist with the ghoul still there, causing the ghoul to disappear with a hiss-like yelp. Stella mentally subtracted that ghoul from the list, making it eleven against one, still a challenge. "Little witch, I know who you are. Ghouls, take her scepter." The ogre ordered, and Stella shivered, moving her feet into an attack position and leaning to the side, moving her scepter into an arc formation, light waves emitting from the top of her scepter

A few of the ghouls were blasted back but there were at least three that remained, Stella glanced around herself with her eyes, trying to find a way to attack. One of the ghouls found that as an opening and lunged, claws scraping her lower leg. Stella glared and kicked the ghoul off, flinging him against another tree causing him to disappear, ten against one. Together the ghouls all lunged at her and Stella would have fired another light wave had she been prepared but taken by surprise she fell back, the ghouls pinning her to the ground.

Clenching her teeth, she watched as a ghoul ripped her scepter from her fingers and brought it over to the ogre, using it as a cane as it stood next to its master. Stella glared at the move, already feeling the detachment from the scepter as it was flounced into the dark side. The ogre grabbed her scepter, causing the ghoul to topple over, before stepping over it and leaning down into her face. "Not so sunny now, are you?" He growled, and Stella gagged on his terrible breath, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the pungent smell.

In the corner of her eye she saw a girl her age emerge from the forest, her hope soared for a moment before fell flat as she took in the girl's appearance. Long curly red-orange hair with yellowed tips, pale skin and cyan blue eyes. But, that wasn't the problem, it was her outfit that hinted that she was a fairy. She was wearing a blue and white striped crop top with short sleeves and pink hearts on one side along with a blue jean skirt, above the knee socks and dark blue, pink, white, and light blue heeled ankle boots. There was a light blue bunny situated on the rock beside the girl, hopping on after her.

Silently, Stella willed that the girl would leave, see the scene like most fairies and scoff and look away. A part of her didn't want anyone else to get hurt but she also wanted the fairy to help her, but she didn't like being in debt to a fairy. Glancing into the girl's eyes she realized that maybe the girl wasn't knowledgeable of what she was, a magical being. There was confusion there along with determination to help those in need.

"Let her go!" The girl said, eyes narrowed at the ogre as she stood by a nearby rock, halting to a stand-still as she finally surveyed the scene. "Did I just say that?" She asked herself, taking in the ghouls loitering around along with the gigantic ogre hovering over Stella. For a minute their eyes locked, Stella willing that the girl would leave, and the girl unsure and indecisive.

The ogre made an unintelligible noise before rising to his full height and roaring at the girl. The girl gasped in shock, backing up slightly before planting her feet firmly. "Get her!" The ogre ordered the ghouls and Stella almost felt sympathetic before she realized that the ogre meant to fight her, or finish her and the girl before leaving with her scepter. She conjured a blast in her hand before flinging it at the ogre, but the ogre merely captured her blast with his hand, relying on the spell placed on him.

The ghouls lunged at the girl and she put a hand up, "Get back." A red, orange, and somewhat blue sphere surrounded her, blasting three ghouls back and causing two to disappear as they took the brunt of the sphere. "Whoa! Did I just do that?" Her voice was trembling with a mixture of confusion and awe. Stella tilted her head to the side, there weren't many magicals that didn't know they were magical. In her watching the girl she didn't notice that the ogre took full-advantage of her distraction and threw her harshly into the ground.

Stella winced, feeling a bruise form on her back before staggering to her feet. "Seriously. You know it's cowardly to hit someone in the back." Stella growled, launching a yellow sphere at the ogre as the ogre was flung back. She prepared herself to go help the girl, glancing over but the girl had picked up a stick and was flinging off ghouls that tried to get to her and the bunny at her side.

"Hands off Kiko." The girl exclaimed, and Stella pieced together that the Kiko must be the light blue bunny which was currently peering up at his owner in slight awe. Stella turned to the ogre, but his attention was snagged on the girl as he charged towards her. Stella held a hand out, conjuring another orange-colored blast and firing at the ogre but the yellow-colored ogre dodged her spell as if it was a fly.

The ogre picked the girl up, holding her up by the stick the girl was using as a weapon and the girl was left to dangle there. Stella gasped, trying to go help the girl but it was no use, her magic was running low and she could barely conjure another spell, there was nothing she could to help the girl. "Bad move, little girl." The ogre exclaimed, bringing the girl to his face and Stella automatically wrinkled her nose in disgust at the foul breath that the girl must be smelling.

The girl glowed orange, "Let go." She exclaimed as a dragon escaped from her body, disorientating the ogre and causing him to fall back, dropping the scepter. Stella followed the dragon in slight awe at the sudden spike in magical energy. In the process of getting burned by the caliber of the spell, the ogre had dropped the scepter causing it to fall to the ground with a clang.

Hurriedly Stella picked up her scepter gingerly, feeling the missing fragment of her magic rekindle inside of her. "You really pack quite a punch." Stella noted, walking over to the girl, who had been dropped at the same time as the scepter. The girl was on her knees, panting from the drainage that usually came with using such a powerful spell. Luckily, she didn't pass out from magical exhaustion, but Stella could tell that she was on the brink of falling over and closing her eyes.

"Yeah. Who knew?" The girl muttered, more to herself than Stella, which she didn't mind considering the girl had seemed to have had no idea of her magical energy. So, releasing such a powerful spell must have rattled the girl, she knew without a doubt that she would be rattled had she experienced the same thing.

Stella stepped in front of the girl, watching from the corner of her eye as the ogre lay on his back, dumbfounded and breathing heavily. "Hey. Thanks." She smiled warmly at the girl, who glanced up at her, blinking slightly. Stella would have chuckled at the expression on her face and then asked where they were if it wasn't for the ogre suddenly rising to his feet.

"No problem." The girl answered, standing up as she too noticed the ogre rising to his feet. Stella adjusted her body to provide a slight shield for the girl, shifting her scepter slight to absorb as much sunlight as possible. She locked her jaw in place, eyeing the ogre and the ghouls as the remainder of them stood behind him, awaiting his command. Eight against two, well one perhaps considering the girl behind her was an untrained magical, but she saw her with the stick earlier, so maybe she could be a bit of help.

"I'll see you again, witches." The ogre glared at them both before clapping his hands together and disappearing into purple smoke with the remainder of the ghouls. Stella smiled to herself, turning her scepter back into a ring with a brilliant flash of light. She turned back to the girl and they locked eyes for a minute, both slightly unsure what to do next. The girl was an obvious magical, by the power radiating off of her, but she was also clueless of exactly what she was.

Stella sighed in relief, closing her eyes for a minute, before she opened them taking a step forward. She didn't get too far before her eyes closed again and she felt herself fall forward. Stella tried to force her eyes open, but she was already too far into the darkness.

* * *

Stella understood she was floating in and out of consciousness, her body flailing weakly. She could pick up small chunks of conversations hovering above her body, but the words sounded sluggish, like the speaker was underwater and gurgling. When she finally was able to focus her senses, she could feel a worn-out couch beneath her, it was oddly comforting, there was a sheet draped over her form and her neck was tilted oddly on a pillow.

For once, the air above her was silent, but she could tell that there were still people there, there was a weight on the armrest of the couch her pillow was leaning against, and there were two forms standing over her. Their forms casting shadows to the otherwise orange hue of the back of her eyelids from the light in the room. Stella sighed slightly as she tried to force her body to wake-up.

Now that she could feel everything, she could feel the soreness of the fight she had been in. Small and healing scratches zig-zagging across her legs, bruises sore on her back, her body felt sore and achy but less sore than it had felt after the magic keeping her awake slowly peeled away. Stella almost moaned in pain but resisted the urge to so to not alert the people of her consciousness. If she could pick up on the conversation occurring, perhaps she could have a better way to explain the magic stuff to them.

Finally, a man spoke, his voice carrying a slight accent. "Bloom, I don't get it. Tell me one more time." He said, his voice carrying a note of frustration along with confusion.

"We were in the park, big scary monsters attacked us, and she fought them off with some kind of magic." The girl that had in a way helped Stella said, her voice a mix of awe. "And so did I." The girl, Bloom, Stella guessed that her name was, finished with even more awe in her voice, there was a note of happiness in her voice but there was also doubt.

"Bloom, that's nuts! I think we should call the police and take this girl to the hospital." The man said again. Stella forced her eyes open, even if a visit to the infirmary in Magix sounded helpful she could not afford to be discovered on whatever planet they were on. If she was, then she would be in serious trouble with the Magix Council for getting discovered by nonmagicals.

The room was a typical homey-styled room, pictures decorated open spaces, a historical T.V. against one cream painted wall, there was an archway leading to what she assumed to be the front door and staircase, and another leading to a kitchen and dining room combo. Stella scanned the room warily before her eyes rested on the people in front of her, there was a blonde man with blue eyes and a lean structure wearing a simple button-up and jeans along with some running shoes.

"No, please don't do that." Stella said, as the two standing in front of her, turned to her, the man had a distrusting expression placid on his face and Bloom was standing across the coffee table, her expression every bit as warm as the magic surging through Stella's veins.

"Her color's better. How do you feel." She turned to spot a woman sitting on the armrest with short medium-brown hair that was fashioned into a bob, somewhat tan skin and warm brown eyes. The woman was wearing a white shirt under light blue overalls along with an apple patterned apron tied around her waist. There was a warmth and caring look in her gaze that made Stella's heart fill with longing.

Her mother never gave her that look. Heck, her mother hadn't even bothered to stop yelling at her father to see her off to Cloud Tower. Yet, a complete stranger was giving her that look. She dismissed those thoughts from her mind, peeling the sheets off her so that she could sit up. "I'm alright. Thanks for helping me." She said, forcing her eyes away and turning to who she assumed was Bloom.

The girl waved a dismissive hand, stepping forward but stopped at the warning look the man sent her. "Oh no problem. You're safe here. These are my parents, I'm Bloom." The girl introduced gesturing towards her the two people before herself. Stella nodded her head, sitting up fully to lean back into the couch, her assumption had been proven correct.

"And what shall we call you dear?" Bloom's mother asked, folding her hands in her lap.

Stella surveyed the three, Bloom and her mother were watching her with interest and a warmth that she rarely found but Bloom's father was still staring at her warily, edging closer to what she assumed was the phone. "My name is Stella, but I'm not from around here. I was wondering, where exactly are we?" She inquired, biting her tongue as she internally debated what she should say.

"We're in Gardenia, California." The man answered, Stella gave him a confused look, what in the Magical Dimension was he talking about. At her confused look, he gave a frustrated sigh and elaborated, "The United States of America." He said, and Stella nodded like she understood, recognizing the name from a study they did on Earth, good thing the teacher kept her awake at that point or the man would really be frustrated.

"So, where exactly are you from Stella?" The woman inquired, cutting the man a sharp look to which he gave a confused look for.

Stella shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I'm from a place really far away from Earth." She chose her words carefully, "Have you heard of the Magic Dimension? I'm from a planet called Solaria there, and the witch of the sun and moon. I was sort of forced here when these ogres and ghouls attacked me while I was portaling to my school." Stella explained, almost wincing at the disbelief that grew on both the man and woman's faces, she probably could have worded that better.

"This girl needs help. She's delirious. I'm calling the police." The man said, walking swiftly to the telephone, now that Stella could identify. She closed her eyes, focusing a bit of her magic and pointed a finger at the phone, opening her eyes to see it had turned into a carrot and cabbage. The man was staring at the carrot in his hand in absolute confusion piled with disbelief before he turned back to her, mouth open.

Stella almost smirked at his expression but feigned nonchalance. "Believe in me now?" She questioned, raising a challenging eyebrow at him. The man said nothing, mouth still gaping like a fish.

"I believe in you, Stella." Bloom said, making Stella turn back to her to see that she had been watching the exchange, a hint of amusement crossing her features, as her lips tilted up in a barely there smirk. Stella tilted her head at Bloom, perhaps the girl could make a pretty good witch, but with a change of less pixie-like clothes.

"Thank you Bloom, but while I was being attacked your daughter showed up out of the woods and helped me to get the ogre and ghouls off my back." Stella explained to Bloom's parents, "I know that nonmagicals have a challenging time seeing magic for the first time but as you've seen, magic does exist, and your daughter possess a lot of magic. If untamed it could prove quite dangerous." She stated, solemnly.

The woman seemed to take her words into stride, "Of course, girls why don't you head upstairs. Mike and I need to discuss what we want to do." The woman said, standing up as she pointed towards the stairs. Stella nodded, standing up and folding the sheet before draping it over the back of the couch and fished a card out of the bag on her back, she handed it to the woman with a smile before following Bloom up the stairs.

Bloom opened the door, leading to a somewhat small room with a bed against one wall with a nightstand next to it along with a desk against the opposite wall containing a bunch of scrambled papers. "Wow I love your room, it's so homey." Stella stated, walking through the door, even with the clothes scattered on the floor along with a few books. She walked over to the desk, there were landscapes along with drawings of shadows and a few fairies. "Did you draw these? Their amazing." Stella asked.

Bloom hummed uncomically and nudged an embarrassing piece of clothing aside with her boot. Stella almost grinned at the embarrassment on the redhead's face before she looked around the room again, there were pictures taped to the wall making it seem much more homelike than Stella's room in Solaria. She never used many knick-knacks since she was little, rather keeping them locked in a drawer where her parents couldn't see them.

"I'm being kind of nosey aren't I. Sorry Bloom." Stella apologized, slightly guilty for invading Bloom's private and personal space.

Bloom snapped her head up, "Oh, don't worry Stella. It's fine." She said, sitting down on the bed with a tired sigh. Stella frowned slightly, stepping over a few books and hesitatingly sitting on the bed beside Bloom, she glanced at Bloom curiously and Bloom smiled slightly, "It's just so hard to believe. I wish I could believe I was a witch." Bloom stated, staring across the room with a slight frown.

Stella frowned even more, "Believe it. But, another thing, you're a magical. Since you haven't decided whether or not you want to be a witch or fairy, you're considered a magical. You have to make a decision before you reach twenty though, so that people can decided what is more appealing to them." Stella explained causing Bloom to nod, only slightly understanding.

"Thanks, Stel." Bloom said gratefully. "I guess I have a lot to learn about the Magical Dimension, it's almost like relearning everything I've been taught about Earth." She sighed, worry seeping through her voice.

Stella nodded, even though she didn't understand, before snapping her fingers as a blue book appeared in the air, floating to her grasp. She handed it to Bloom and Bloom stared at it in slight awe. "It contains everything you need to know about the Magical Universe from the beginning of it to the end. You don't have to read everything, but you need to know how magic works and some of the crucial factors, not so much about the conflicts on the planets. Unless you want to." Stella said.

"Wow." Bloom said, running a hand over the book cover, tracing the gold outlining. "Thanks, Stel." She said, leaning over and throwing her arms around Stella. Stella stiffened but accepted the embrace slightly, patting Bloom's hand. "I think I want to come with you to Cloud Tower." She said, standing up.

Stella stood up as well, "Are you sure, I mean you don't have to."

Bloom nodded, "Yes, I want to." She said determination burning brightly in her eyes. "Anyways when do classes start? And how am I supposed to get into the school." Bloom asked, starting to her closet and pulling out a suitcase and dropping it on the bed.

"Classes start in two days, I was heading over early to get away from home for a bit." Stella didn't elaborate on why she wanted to get away and Bloom seemed to understand that, even though she was confused. "I'm actually going to call Headmistress Griffon, if you can prove to her that you're witchy enough, she'll gladly allow you in." Stella explained, it was a test that most witches had to pass, Stella passed it when she decided to become a witch.

Bloom nodded, "Ok." She looked like she wanted to ask more question but they were both cut off from a thundering sound from downstairs and the sound of Bloom's mother screaming. "Mom, dad." Bloom gasped, pulling the door open and running towards the stairs. Stella quickly followed after her, grabbing Bloom's arm to prevent her from thundering down the stairs.

Stella held a finger up to her lips, shushing Bloom's protest. "Want to practice being a witch? First we have to sneak down the stairs and make a sudden appearance to scare the ogre and ghouls." Stella allowed a slight smirk to curve her lips. Bloom sighed and nodded, smirking slightly as they both crept down the stairs, crouching and peeking through the spindles.

"Now, where are those little witches?" The ogre roared, Bloom's parents were holding each other tightly, Bloom growled, glaring through the spindles at the ogre and troll hovering over her parents. Stella halted in her steps, spotting the troll, she almost gulped. The ogre still had the same number of ghouls, but he now had a troll on his side. This was not looking good at all.

"Looking for me." Stella announced her presence, gesturing for Bloom to do the same even though she was till on the last couple or first couple of steps depending on how you are looking at it. The ogre made an unintelligent noise and swiveled around, the troll copying his movements. "Because I'm right here, you blimp." She said, biting her tongue against the other words she could have used, but she was in the presence of Bloom's parents.

She jumped off the last steps, throwing her ring up and catching the scepter that fell, holding it diagonal across her chest. The ogre growled, "Don't just stand there. Get them!" He pointed a large finger at them, the ghouls started to advance, and the troll followed, footsteps creating dents in the floor. Stella quickly cast another sound barrier, not want the Earthen police to be dragged into the middle of the fray.

Stella leaned back, "Bloom, we're outnumbered. We need to split them up." She gave Bloom a look, nodding to the ghouls. Bloom gave an understanding nod, before jumping in front of the ghouls and getting them to follow her outside. Stella watched her for a minute, making sure she exited before turning back to the ogre and troll still standing there. She locked eyes with Bloom's father and tilted her head to the window.

"Did you call me a blimp?" The ogre growled dumbly, finally realizing what she said and narrowing his eyes at her. Stella rolled her eyes, shifting her weight from foot to foot, watching as Bloom's parents crept out of the window.

"Well if the shoe fits." Stella taunted, swinging her scepter down in an arc and launching a light wave at the troll and ogre. She couldn't take them down on her own, she realized, getting her phone out of her pocket and firing an orange sphere at them both, running further up the stairs. She quickly sent a message to Brandon, hoping beyond hope that he would help her, even though she was a witch now.

The ogre growled, allowing the troll to chase her up the stairs. He grabbed her by her arm and threw her over the banister into the harsh living room floor. Stella groaned, rolling over as she slid her cracked phone into her pocket. She rolled away from the fist aimed at her head, throwing a glowing sphere at them. She forced herself up, feeling her vision fill with spots before narrowing her eyes at the ogre.

" _Hectic Light_ " Stella yelled, using the tip of her scepter and temporarily blinding them both. She watched with faintly disguised amusement as the ogre slammed his fist into the staircase, growling at the sting. She backed into the kitchen, conjuring another sphere into her hand and used it to blast away the troll as he finally overcame the brightness and grabbed her, throwing her through the window.

Stella winced, falling through the glass. "Stella!" Bloom yelled running over, crouching down next to her and surveying her back for any shards of glass. Stella sat up using her upper arms and watched in horror as the blue troll stormed his way through the doorway, using his shoulders to make it wider.

"Don't worry. I've got it all under control, you'll see." Stella said, standing up on shaking legs and leaning against Bloom slightly. Bloom huffed as they both looked up at the towering troll, he growled smirking at them in the way trolls do. Stella moved her body to shield Bloom, but she watched happily as wires tied around the troll's neck. The guys had come. Gratefully, she sagged slightly against Bloom, but if Bloom noticed she didn't say anything.

"You got him!" Timmy explained, holding his blaster, the rest of the boys were beside him and Riven was the one holding the rope around the troll's neck. Stella straightened her spine, spotting Brandon, causing an unfamiliar but at the same time familiar feeling to tingle in Stella's stomach, she internally growled at herself. She was a witch now and Brandon had made his feelings clear when she told him she was going to be a witch.

Yet he still came.

"Now let's take him to jail where he belongs." Sky said, and Stella watched as Bloom's gaze snapped to him and a faint blush rose on her cheeks. She almost facepalmed, she was going to hex Sky if he ever hurt Bloom. She didn't know if they were best friends or not, but she didn't want some Prince stomping on her friend's heart.

"Relax. I've got him completely secure." Riven said, a bored expression on his face and overconfidence in his eyes.

Brandon leaned against his green glowing sword, "I am totally relaxed. It's you you'll need to be worried about." Brandon said, frowning at the last bit of his sentence as the troll threw Riven in between Bloom and Stella. Stella briefly checked on Riven, lying dazed on the ground staring into the night sky. Before she turned back to the troll who was now released from the lasso and growling at the rest of the boys.

"Stay behind me." Sky ordered Timmy, who quickly complied with the order, ducking behind Sky as the troll, finally regaining himself roared and started pounding on the shield separating him from the duo. Stella watched as Sky winced but kept his shield up, trying to protect him and Timmy, slashing blindly at the troll's arms.

Brandon darted to the side in the middle of the fray, his cape flapping in the warm summer air. Stella eyed him, a habit to make sure that he was unscathed, before crossing her arms, crouched beside a woozy Riven along with Bloom. "Sky, hang on!" He said as Sky grunted in response, his strength visibly draining. Brandon nodded staking his sword into the ground, creating a hole behind the troll, he pulled his sword out, shooting Timmy a look.

At the look the orange-haired teen charged up his blaster, firing at the troll from behind Sky, causing the troll, taken aback, to stumble into the hole. The troll's meaty fingers clung to the ground, before he lost his grip and slid down the hole, jumping up and down to try and escape. Stella sagged in relief before realizing that they were surrounded by the remainder of the ghouls.

"Oh no." She muttered, pointing them out to Bloom, who shivered slightly, her hands searching the ground beside her for a stick. Riven, who had been lying there, immediately pushed himself off the ground and winced, his hand running through his spiky locks. Stella watched him, ready to offer some sort of assistance should he need it but she was a witch, not likely the other boys would be ok with her offering _anything_.

Riven stood up, holding a hand out to them to prevent them from helping him, or, as Stella would analyze later, getting hurt. "Pardon me, ladies! I've got work to do." He grabbed his magenta sword and ran towards the red spindly creatures. The creatures lunged at him at the same time, but he easily stabbed his sword through them, causing them to poof into oblivion with a hiss.

Stella, once again, found herself staring at Brandon, watching him share a hushed conversation with the boys as they kept their eyes trained on the troll, for a moment he glanced up. Brown meeting gold. Before she frowned, remembering his hurtful words, ' _I don't want to be around you anymore, you're a witch_.' He'd said, leaving her to silently cry on the Red Fountain bench. She glanced away from him, instead watching as a ghoul leapt on Riven back but Riven merely threw him off, wiping blood from his cheek.

At that time, the ogre stormed through the house, his anger evident as he surveyed the scene, a low growl came from his throat announcing his presence. Stella didn't even realize she was beside Bloom, both throwing their hands up and blasting him back with a spell that Stella muttered under her breath. "And that's how you take down an ogre." She smiled at Bloom, as Bloom stared at her shaking hands, still glowing from magic.

"Wow! I really can do it."

Stella nodded, "Totally, told you so." She felt her smile slip away as she watched the ogre stand to his feet, his expression dark before he realized that he was surrounded by the group. He growled, muttering a string of swear words under his breath before he clapped his hands together, disappearing in purple smoke, taking the four remaining ghouls with him. "Finally, the next time I see him, he won't know what hit him." Stella said, putting the ring of Solaria back on her finger.

The boys walked over to each other, still eyeing the ogre. Stella frowned to herself, knowing that Bloom was still staring at the blonde prince. She subtly nudged her somewhat-friend and gave her a glance along with a smirk, to which Bloom blushed but scowled anyways. Her parents emerged from the broken doorway, staring dubiously at the state of their yard, Stella snapped her fingers as the grass cleaned itself other than the hole containing the troll.

She nodded her head towards the Specialist before walking over to them, going around the crater. "Bloom, allow me to introduce you to the boys." She said, crossing her arms, "Riven." Riven only grunted in response, surveying Bloom for a minute before looking off into the distance again, an ever-present scowl on his face. "Brandon" The name rolled off her tongue.

"Hey." Brandon greeted, winking at Bloom, his sword planted into the ground, Stella quirked an eyebrow, locking eyes with him for a minute before looking away.

"Timmy."

"Hi." Timmy said, waving shyly, his blaster still in his hand. Bloom smiled slightly, but her expression was still cold.

"And Prince Sky." Stella gestured to him, Bloom followed her gaze, frowning slightly at the title as she realized that he was indeed a prince.

"Hello." Sky's sword disappeared into the hilt, he pocketed it, waving at Bloom before winking slightly. A blush crept up Bloom's neck, but she just crossed her arms, turning towards her parents. Stella saw Sky frown slightly before his focus went back to the troll, who had finally managed to claw his way up and peak his head out from the crevice in the ground. Timmy shook his head, getting out a neck handcuff that electrocuted the troll, forcing him into the air at Timmy's will.

"Well I guess that's it." Riven said, still scowling as he opened a portal using one of Red Fountain's many devices, a light blue portal opened. The boys all waved goodbye to Bloom, blatantly ignoring Stella. Stella frowned but turned back towards Bloom's parents who were staring in horror at the crevice in the ground that the troll previously occupied. Stella sighed, snapping her fingers as the hole disappeared, boys would always leave destruction in their wake.

Bloom's mother ran a tired hand down her face, "Everyone, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow we will talk about your options Bloom." She sighed, turning back to their falling apart house. Stella frowned at what the troll had done to the house, snapping her fingers to repair the door, placing it back on the hinges and fixing the doorway, the cracks disappearing. "Thank you, Stella." Bloom's mother smiled weakly before walking back through the door.

"But Vanessa-" Bloom's father said as Vanessa turned back to him, giving him a look, holding a silent conversation, before he sighed, relenting. "Goodnight sweetheart. Night Stella." He forced a smile before following his wife into the house. Stella shared a glance with Bloom before they both walked into the house.

"Bloom, let's fix things up. Shall we?" Stella asked. Bloom nodded with a small smile as they stopped in the living room, which had endured the most damage with craters and shattered flooring and furniture. "Think about the way the room used to look and then snap your fingers." Stella instructed, giving a demonstration of patching up the crater in the floor, fixing the tile. "Imagine the cracks in the coffee table slowly fixing, reconnecting."

Bloom sighed, closing her eyes, before she snapped her fingers and both the couch, and the coffee table straightened up, pictures going back onto the dresser as it fixed itself, drawers closing along with cabinets. "Wow. I can't believe I did that." Bloom said, opening her eyes and surveying what she had fixed. "I'll fix the rest of the furniture; can you fix the wall and TV?" Bloom asked.

"Sure." Stella shrugged, snapping her fingers and watching as the wall flew back up, patching up and painted over. Bloom closed her eyes again and snapped her fingers, the rest of the furniture fixing and moving to their spot. Stella smiled to herself, before she snapped her fingers again and the crack in the TV disappeared. She glanced at a nearby picture, frowning at the significant difference between Bloom and her parents.

"Something wrong?"

Stella sighed, choosing her words carefully, "I didn't want to say anything, but you don't really look a lot like your parents, and with your magic and everything. It's just, I don't know, strange." She slightly rambled, rubbing her neck as they climbed the stairs. Bloom stopped at a closet, pulling out an air mattress, a sheet, and two blankets along with two pillows. She didn't say anything for a bit, even as they blew up the air mattress and made the makeshift bed.

"I'm adopted." Bloom finally said, glancing up. "When I was younger, I noticed definite differences between me and my parents, so I kept asking them. It wasn't until I got a blood test, that they sat me down and explained how they found me. I was found in a burning building, which I guess is my magic source since it went out when I felt comfortable with Mike." She said, laying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Stella sighed as well, laying on the semi-comfortable bed. "I'm sorry for making you explain." She finally said, breaking the silence, she sat up suddenly, snapping her fingers as one of her back-packs that she had transported to Cloud Tower appeared. "You know, if you want to see them, we can scry." She offered, holding the bookbag up. Bloom sat up, her expression curious and determined.

"We could? What is scrying?" She asked, her tone doubtful but the desire to see what her parents looked like a war in her mind.

Stella nodded, "Scrying is basically a way witches can look into the past, present, and sometimes future. We can scry using fire, water, or stones. Fire is more untamable. Water is easy but slightly slippery. And Stones only show you what they want you to see." She explained, "I usually use fire due to my power source, and I have a feeling you could to. If you're up for it." Stella offered.

Bloom nodded and together they moved some things aside, making room for their circle. Stella showed her where to put the bowls of the different elements, helping her to light the candle signifying fire with her mind, before the sprinkled some white stardust onto the ground, drawing two circles and leaving them open for them to enter the circle. Stella placed a candle in the center of the inner circle, drawing runes of protection, light magic, and vision around the room.

"Now we enter the circle. And I will close the circle." Stella instructed as Bloom entered, sitting opposite of the entrance as Stella sprinkled the stardust on top of it, closing the circle. She sat cross legged and Bloom mirrored her actions, "Close your eyes and imagine your magic, flowing through your veins, circling around you in protection, lighting a pathway." Stella instructed, watching Bloom close her eyes and doing the same.

She began to mutter an incantation under her breath, blessing their circle, providing them protection from dark magic, and allowing them to see all they wish. Together they leaned their heads together and stared down at the not-yet-burning wax of the candle. Bloom closed her eyes, and the candle lit up as they watched a mirror form inside of the fire. Scrying came as second-nature to Bloom, Stella realized, as they saw blurry figures holding a child, a portal forming, destruction, death.

A few seconds later they leaned back, Bloom had fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh Bloom, the fire is the most uncontrollable. That might not be all that happened to your home, there might be more. We didn't see anyone who looked like you, so maybe your parents are out there." Stella said in the most reassuring way she knew how. Bloom leaned forwards, blowing out the candle before crying into Stella's shoulder.

Stella held her as she cried until they destroyed the circle, cleaning everything up before placing Stella's bag into a corner before they both crawled into bed. Not a word filling the silence. Stella stared at the legs of the desk, before she felt herself slip away.

* * *

"So, how is the currency in Magix going to work?" Bloom asked the next day, glancing at a pair of ripped black skinny jeans before slinging them over her arm. Stella had never been shopping on earth before, the stores were unfamiliar but the nonmagicals didn't act much differently, other than the energy pouring off them. They had woken up that morning, ate some breakfast before Bloom decided, on her own, that she wanted to find new clothes to fit in as a witch.

So now they were in one of the stores at the Gardenia mall, holding coffee in paper cups and strolling through a store called _Hollister_. Stella picked up a black lacey crop top, observing it before holding it out to Bloom, Bloom surveyed it before shaking her head and Stella put it back on the rack. "I believe one earthen dollar should translate to one Magix gem." Stella tapped her chin thoughtfully, shrugging. "We can check once we get there." She shrugged her shoulders.

Bloom nodded, grabbing a halter dark blue crop top with no sleeves and putting it in her growing pile of clothes. She already had a few bags on one arm, some of the other clothes they had found. Stella didn't like that her clothes were only limited to blue, she had made a mission to find something other than blue for Bloom. She grabbed a dark purple crop top with some lace hanging from it and showed it to Bloom, who shrugged before accepting.

"So, we've got blue, purple, and red as your colors. How about we try green? Or maybe orange? Yellow would make your skin appear a little sunken and pink is too girly." Stella suggested, picking out a belly-shirt with a decorated skull on it and showing it to Bloom. Bloom hesitated slightly before shaking her head and instead grabbing a belly shirt with a dark blue background and a black rose in the middle with a decorated circle around it filled with skulls, dead roses, and leaves. "I like that one. Go get dressed. I'm going to look around." Stella said.

She glanced around the store, finding a few things she liked, black ripped skinny jeans for Bloom. Bloom appeared a little bit later, carrying a few of the clothes she liked and placing the other ones on a rack next to the dressing rooms. "Let's stop for lunch." Bloom suggested, paying for her clothes along with the black skinny jeans Stella found before they exited the store. They walked to the food court, getting some food on Bloom before sitting down.

"I was thinking that maybe today would be a good day to make a visit to Headmistress Griffon." Stella said, taking a sip from her chocolate milkshake. "After you get dressed in your new clothes." She added, imagining Griffon's green face after seeing Bloom in her regular outfit, she would probably send Bloom right over to Alfea without even blinking an eyeball.

Bloom smiled nervously, "Yeah sure. Sounds great." She said, "So, what is the test like?" She asked.

Stella tapped her chin thoughtfully, "It's different for everyone witch, we're not as all bad as we're made out to be, but we basically test whether we can perform spells and hexes, using glamours and having a darker and sometimes realistic outlook." She explained, "Bloom, if you seriously don't want to do this, we can return the clothes and I can drop you off at Alfea after talking to Faragonda before going to Cloud Tower. It's no problem."

Bloom rolled her eyes, "I know. I seriously want to become a witch, I mean I have been planning on renewing my wardrobe anyways. So, would you stop telling me I can become a pixie." She said, annoyed.

Stella smirked, "Never thought you'd say pixie. But, hey, I'm all for it. Speaking of witchy things, how about we do a little prank on someone you don't like." She suggested, and Bloom smirked in response, explaining how a girl named Mitzi, who names their child that, had been bullying Bloom forever. "Alright so when we go to your house today, we should pay her a little hexing visit." She waved her fingers in the air, yellow sparks shooting from her nails.

"Perfect." Bloom smirked, "I saw one more outfit I have my eye on, so I'll be right back. Just to prove how witchy I can be." She said, before leaving, "I'll trust you with my things." She said, shooting Stella a challenging look. Stella glanced back down at her milkshake, she liked that Bloom could be witchy too, the girl definitely needed a new wardrobe to get her outside of her bubble.

For a minute, though, she wondered if it was all an act.

* * *

The rest of the day came and went, they pranked Mitzi by practically destroying her new scooter before going to Cloud Tower and getting Bloom enrolled, which Griffon allowed with a few words. Stella waited, slightly impatient, in the newly cleaned living room of Bloom's home, waiting for her to say goodbye to her parents who had come with them yesterday to see the school and meet Headmistress Griffon.

Finally, they gave the ok with a few convincing words and now they were all leaving, including Kiko, who had practically jumped into Bloom's suitcase. "Are you ready, Bloom?" She asked, as Bloom finally made it down the stairs. Bloom nodded, checking her suitcase and bag behind her, the help of a miniaturizing spell minimizing it to just the two things. She slid her gaze over to Mike and Vanessa who were holding each other as they watched Bloom with sad eyes. "Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Peters Bloom's in good hands." Stella said.

Mike nodded, giving her a begrudging smile, as she nodded back. She threw her ring up, catching the scepter and feeling the familiar metal in her hands, warm with energy. She conjured a portal. "Bye mom, bye dad. I'll see you soon." Bloom kissed her father's cheek before walking towards the portal, stopping just in front of it. They shared a glance before walking through the portal, off to the start of their new lives at Cloud Tower.

* * *

 **I know the ending may seem a bit rushed, but I wanted to end this chapter soon and get it out before tomorrow. Plus, if I added the extra scene this will turn extremely long, not that it isn't long already. So, I hoped all of you liked it, including those of you who don't like the Nick version. Bye and let me know if you want this story to continue, I'll probably continue it anyways, I'm like that. But those comments will give me a major boost.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

The Fate of Bloom

* * *

Chapter 2

Cloud Tower was prestigious, a dark and albeit evil air surrounding the looming castle of towers, fog covered the area around it, an effect of thousands of years of wiccan magic thrumming through the walls. Stella placed the ring of Solaria on her fingers, turning to glance beside her at Bloom. Bloom, who had already seen the school before, was marveling, her eyes wide with awe, unlike the other witches around them who had gotten over their feat of awe and were currently making their way across the bridge.

"Bloom." Stella huffed, snapping her fingers in front of her face, watching in faint amusement and annoyance as Bloom blinked, once, twice, before turning to look at Stella. "Come on, we've got to go get our dorm room before we get separated." Stella rolled her eyes at having to repeat herself, drumming her nails on her arm. Bloom nodded her head, an emotionless mask covering her face, as they walked across the bridge.

Stella followed the crowd through the open doors before turning to Bloom, watching the emotionless mask slip before remaining in place. Bloom glanced around, her grip on her suitcase tight as they each grabbed a map, watching as the names on each room filled up. "Hey, there's one here with two available spots and it's on the third floor." Bloom pointed out, walking in the direction of the stairs.

"Just a quick warning, some of the senior witches like to prank freshlings, we might want to watch our backs." Stella advised, dragging Bloom to the stairs and climbing the flights of stairs. There were still witches, running around and searching for a room. "Come on B. We've got to hurry if you want to snag that room." She said, grabbing Bloom's arm and dragging her down the hallway.

They glanced at the signs, watching the names add on, "Hey, here's a room." Bloom stated, pushing the door open and stepping inside. She glanced at the list of people, "We're rooming with Mirta and Lucy." She said, walking into the common room, there were three doors, two leading to bedrooms and one leading to a bathroom, there was also a large window showcasing a view.

Stella nodded, walking to the empty room and dropping her bag on the bed. Bloom copied her movement, glancing at the map and watching as their names filled the room. Stella snapped her fingers as her suitcases came out of her bag, growing to full size and filling her closet. Bloom just unzipped her suitcase, hanging her recently bought clothes up. "Later I'm going to go to Magix, you should come with me to get your currency set up." Stella advised.

Bloom shrugged, "Sure. I'm going to go meet our roommates." She stated, vanishing through the partially open door. Stella watched her from the corner of her eye, watching as Kiko popped out of Bloom's suitcase, she chuckled to herself, snapping her fingers and putting a protection barrier around him. "Crap, Kiko, I thought I told you to stay home." Bloom reappeared in the doorway, rushing to her rabbit.

"You have a rabbit." Another girl appeared in the doorway, a sneer present on her narrow tan face, her eyes were a dark brown, almost black color and her dark greenish-blue hair hung to her shoulders. She was wearing a white tank-top and green ripped pants with black spiked boots. She wrinkled her nose, "How pixie-like can a witch be? He's going to get a hell of a lot of hexes, I can't be seen with you if you have vermin." The girl said nasally.

Bloom narrowed her eyes, the blue darkening a shade, "Then don't hang out with us, and if you even think of hexing Kiko, I will fry your hair." Bloom stated coolly, but there was a threat in her eyes.

The girl growled, her hands clenching into fists. "Lucy, that's enough." A dark red-haired girl appeared next to her, blue and green beads in a few strands of her hair, her face was pale, and freckles dusted across her nose, her eyes were stone-colored. She was wearing a white pumpkin belly shirt with a black vest over it and black skinny jeans along with green boots. "You're already picking fights, and we haven't even gone to orientation." She groaned, running a hand down her face.

The other girl, now known as Lucy, glared at Bloom darkly, which Bloom returned before leaving the room, a string of swear words following her. "You must be Mirta." Stella cut in, smiling slightly at Mirta. Mirta waved slightly, stepping into the room, before her eyes fell on the bunny who started the mess. Kiko was being held almost in a death grip by Bloom, who was still watching Mirta warningly.

Mirta nodded, "Yeah, sorry about Lucy. She's just stressed." Mirta lamented, although even she didn't believe it. "So that must be Kiko, hey little guy." She waved, crouching down slightly, "He's adorable." She stated, waving a hand as a friendly little puppy trudged his way into the room. "I can turn emotions into images, it's kind of my power." Mirta explained as Kiko sniffed curiously at the puppy.

"That's cool." Bloom said, her eyes once again warm, her anger towards Lucy dissipating and a slight smile tilting her lips up. Stella glanced at the puppy curiously before she returned her gaze to Mirta, "My names Bloom, and this is Stella." She gestured towards Stella. Mirta waved again, although recognition kindled inside of her eyes.

"So, you're the fairy who blew up the potion's lab?" Mirta questioned. Stella nodded, and Bloom's jaw dropped to the ground, turning to give Stella a confused look along with a look demanding that she elaborate.

"You blew up the potion's lab and you are a fairy!" Bloom's eyes widened theatrically as she fell back on her bed, Kiko protesting as he fell back with her, nudging her with his small paw. Bloom rubbed her forehead. "I really need to read that book you gave me when we met." Bloom stated, as she stared at the ceiling.

Stella chuckled, "I was a fairy. As I explained to you, we decide what we want to be during our late teen years, that allowance gives us the chance to be teenagers and decide what we want to do rather than be forced into something that we decided at sixteen." Stella explained, raising an eyebrow at Bloom since she had explained the process, it must have slipped Bloom's mind.

Bloom sat up, "Yeah, but you didn't mention you were a fairy." She countered.

Stella rolled her eyes, crossing her arms, before turning back to Mirta, who was watching the exchange with slight amusement. "Bloom's from Earth so she's new to the Magic Dimension, that's why she didn't know about me from my notorious record." She rolled her eyes, finishing the last part in a posh tone

Mirta's eyes widened, "Earth?" She exclaimed, "But I thought there was no magic on Earth anymore, not since the magic all but disappeared years ago." Mirta stated which caused Bloom to give her a look. Stella almost face-palmed, she forgot to tell Bloom that part of Earth having magic not that long ago before the fairies of Earth were wiped out.

"How come you didn't tell me?" Bloom asked Stella, giving her a betrayed look.

Stella shifted, slightly embarrassed. "I'm not so good with History, but I did know there was no magic, which was why I asked you about _that_." She gave Mirta a slight shake of the head, telling her not to ask. She didn't want to be the one to tell other people what Bloom had told her about her adoption, it wasn't her tale to tell. "We should be going, orientation is going to start soon, and I so don't want to be late and face the wrath of Mrs. Griffon."

They all shivered, before exiting the dorm room and making their way down the stairs towards the stadium in Cloud Tower.

"Welcome ladies to Cloud Tower." Mrs. Griffon said, her hands on her hips as she stared down the students from her spot on the floating stage. "This year you will learn to be witches, doing evil deeds, learning spells and hexes, and, of course, excelling the darker aspects of your magic." She said, her eyes scanning the stadium for anyone talking, "You will learn illusions and how to create rituals. As always, we will also be pranking our pixie neighbors, but you must never get caught. Get caught, and you will go to the detention dimension. Some of you upperclassman know about that." She smirked.

Stella watched her continue on about the evil arts of being a witch, and also the albeit good arts of being a witch, mentally comparing her speech to Mrs. Faragonda's speech. They weren't much different, she supposed, except the difference of dark and light. She was seated in the middle, trying to remain inconspicuous to the headmistress, she was known to frighten a few freshlings and Stella had a feeling she would be one of those few.

"Now do whatever you want to do girls, classes start at 8 o'clock sharp, if you're late, well, you'll see what happens. Good luck getting to your rooms ladies." Mrs. Griffon smirked, snapping her fingers and disappearing in a wave of purple smoke. The other teachers either did the same or simply walked out of the room. Stella shared a questioning glance with Bloom, were they supposed to leave? It seemed too easy, like Griffon had a plan.

Bloom crossed her arms, "Well, now what? Do we get lost and go to our rooms or do we stay here?" Bloom asked. Stella glanced around the room, most of the freshlings had already exited, but the other students remained sitting. "Do we follow our class or stay with the upperclassman?"

Mirta glanced over at them, amusement in her eyes, "Weren't you girls listening? She said that the upperclassman that had covens stayed behind." She informed them. Stella blushed, standing up, "She probably put an illusion on the hallways." Mirta subtly rolled her eyes, before turning back to a still-seated Lucy. "Lucy, you coming?" She inquired, even though she didn't seem as happy to be talking to her friend.

Lucy shook her head, "No. I'm going to stay here, see if I can find some other crowds." She said bluntly. Mirta blinked before looking away, Stella scowled slightly, "What's the problem _princess_?" She asked venomously, a mocking note lilting her voice. Stella growled, before storming away, and Bloom shot Lucy a warning look, waving her fingers around, sparks shooting in between.

"I don't like her." Stell said once they got into the hallway. "She's such a little bitch, I mean she seriously said that, you know what? I hope she finds a crowd and they just smack her in the face, maybe that will actually make her less of a bitch." She growled, storming up the stairs and walking into their floor. She frowned slightly, the hallway had been straight before but was now leading into two directions, one going right, the other going left.

Mirta deflated as they entered the third floor, and Stella almost felt sorry for her, Lucy had to be a friend but, yet she was treating Mirta like she was disposable. "Sorry M, come on we've got to get to our room." Bloom said, slinging an arm over Mirta's shoulder. Stella placed a hand in front of her, halting her. "Stel, we can't just stay here. We've got to find our way to the room." Bloom stated.

Stella nodded, "Does anyone still have a map of Cloud Tower?" She asked and Mirta nodded, pulling a folded map out of her bag. "As I thought, the maps shift with the hallways. Since we brought ours, we can find our way back to our apartment, unlike those who didn't." Stella glanced at the map before turning left, watching with slight amusement as some girls darted to and from the spinning maze-like hallways.

Bloom crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "So, you're saying that we should always have a map on us." She said, glancing over Stella's shoulder at the map as the group turned right. "But, what if we forget to bring a map? Then what? We end up wondering around like lost puppies." Bloom scowled slightly, and Stella winced at the thought of wandering around like the unfortunate freshmen.

Stella shrugged, "I don't know. I'm as new to this as you are B." She reminded Bloom, "Maybe after the first couple of weeks it will simmer down, but by then we'll have access to all of our magic, so we can just snap our fingers for a map." She stated, as the group finally spotted their dorm room, opening the door and walking inside.

"I'd hate to have to wander around with a map 24/7." Mirta commented, dropping down onto the couch, crossing her arms across her chest.

Bloom frowned glancing around the room, "Hey, where's Kiko? He always comes to greet me when I come home." Bloom inquired, walking towards her and Stella's shared room. She walked back, seconds later, her face pale with shock, before turning red with anger, "I think I know why Lucy wanted to stay behind." She growled, producing her once light blue bunny that had been turned into a six-eyed dark green creature.

Stella backed away, "Are you sure that's Kiko?"

Bloom scowled, her once cyan blue eyes now burning orange with anger. "Yes, I recognize my pet bunny when I see him." She answered. "Stella, can you turn him back?" Bloom asked several minutes later, her eyes softening slightly but her jaw was still clenched.

"Yes, it's an illusion, basically, so a bit of light will show how Kiko really looks." Stella answered, hesitatingly taking Kiko from Bloom and setting him on the coffee table, he whimpered once he saw his reflection in the glass. Definitely Kiko, Stella thought sympathetically, snapping her fingers as Kiko became a bunny and light blue again. He cheered slightly before running to Bloom.

Mirta sighed, "I can't believe Lucy would do that." She muttered to herself, smiling apologetically. "Sorry Bloom."

Bloom hugged Kiko tightly to her, "Not your fault M. Just make sure that _Lucy_ stays the hell out of my way for a bit. Unless she wants her hair lit on fire." Bloom said, but she was not so angry any more, the flames put out once Kiko was returned as himself in her arms. "Anyways, I need to get to Magix, to see if I can open an account here." Bloom nodded towards Stella, mentally asking if she would show her.

Stella smiled, "Sure B. M, you coming?" She inquired, turning towards Mirta. Mirta smiled slightly, nodding her head as she stood up from the couch. "Great." Stella smiled, slinging an arm over Mirta's shoulder. She didn't know why they started referring to each other from the first letter of their names, but she could guess that it meant that they were bonding. For a brief moment, she wandered about Brandon. What was he up to? She bit back a sigh, reminding herself that he didn't want to be apart of her life anymore.

"S, you ok?" Bloom snapped her fingers in front of Stella's face, causing Stella to blink. Bloom suddenly smirked. "Oh, I know what you were thinking about. A little specialist that helped us the other night, am I correct? What was his name?" Bloom tapped her chin thoughtfully and Stella glared at her, both at the fact that she was right, and witches and heroes didn't mix. "Brandon."

"Shut up B. Don't pretend you haven't given another thought to Prince Sky." Stella retorted, smirking knowing that she was right. Bloom blushed for a minute before scowling in response.

Mirta looked between them, "Do I want to know?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No." They both responded in union, Mirta shrugged, seemingly ok with the response. Stella shared a smirk with Bloom, chuckling at their teasing. "We've got to go if we want to get back before curfew." Bloom stated, glancing at a clock on the wall, before she blinked in confusion, "When is curfew, again?"

Mirta laughed, "Wow, you two really weren't paying attention during Mrs. Griffon's speech, curfew it is at 9:30." Mirta reminded them. Stella went to her room, quickly grabbing her wallet and checking her phone, she had three messages, two from her parents and one from Brandon. Stella almost did a double-take before she opened them message, shakily. He wanted to meet, over the weekend to talk about things. What was that supposed to mean?

"Wow, you keep zoning out S." Bloom stated, appearing in the doorway with Mirta. She frowned at the look on Stella's face. "What's up?" Her gaze slid momentarily to the phone in Stella's hand, curiosity burning hot in her eyes. She probably hadn't ever seen a phone like this, Stella reminded herself, casually pocketing her phone and grabbing her wallet, ignoring the question.

"Alright, let's go. Bloom do you have a credit card or something on you?" Stella inquired, glancing at Bloom, the two girls shared a glance. Mirta shaking her head slightly before they returned back to Stella. The subject dropped until later when Stella knew Bloom would privately ask about it. She didn't know whether to tell Bloom or not, the subject would come up eventually, but Stella found that she didn't want Bloom to know what the guys had done to her. More importantly, what Brandon had done.

* * *

"I can't believe it was that easy to switch accounts." Bloom said, eating a slice of what she called pizza. Stella had never tried anything quite like it, it must have been an earthen food that had been brought to Magix before magic disappeared. "Or to turn dollars into gems." She corrected herself, they were seated at a pizza parlor in Magix, a large box of cheese pizza in the middle of the table.

Stella shrugged, she wouldn't have much of an idea about the topic, but she could figure that it was shocking to Bloom. "I can't believe that this is the only pizza parlor in Magix. It tastes surprisingly good aside from the grease." She said, taking another bite of the delectable food, she really liked it, surprisingly. Bloom chuckled slightly, although she shot a few girls in the parlor curious looks, to which they responded with glares. "Oh, those are the stereotypical pixies that don't like witches." Stella answered the unasked question, annoyed with the looks.

The pixies didn't own the town, acting like they did was a concept that made Stella want to knock her former peers down a few notches. Bloom nodded in slight understanding, "So, why did Lucy call your princess?" Bloom asked, changing the suddenly tense subject.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of your parents. They might do something weird, but I am the Princess of Solaria, the planet of light." Stella said, watching Bloom's jaw drop in slight awe before she closed her mouth. "Kind of why I never tried pizza before, that and it's on a different planet." Stella smiled, taking another bite of the food, savoring the strange flavor.

"I really need to read that book you gave me." Bloom said, dropping her face into her hands.

Stella and Mirta shared a glance and laughed, "You also need to get a new phone. Earthen technology is historical here." Mirta commented, Bloom nodded pulling out some sort of flip-phone from her pocket. "Definitely ancient." Mirta said with a laugh, picking up Bloom's phone curiously. Stella was happy that she was in a better mood, what Lucy had done really hurt Mirta and she was happy that Mirta was getting over what happened, Lucy was simply not good enough for Mirta.

Bloom sighed, "And that's supposed to be the latest version." She clicked the power button on her phone, but the screen wouldn't turn on. An effect of the ancient technology clashing with the much more advanced technology of Magix. Instead she glanced outside, to the night sky filled with stars, "We should be getting back soon, I could get a phone over the weekend or something, but not if we get sent to the detention dimension for being late."

Stella stiffened at the mention of the oncoming weekend, but forced a smile on her face, finishing her third slice of pizza before closing the box. Mirta didn't say anything about them not being allowed to have food, merely holding the door open as they walked in the crowded streets of Magix. "Hey B, aren't you supposed to call your parents' soon?" She reminded her friends, remembering one of the things Mike had warned if Bloom was to leave.

Bloom groaned, "I almost forgot about that, but I can't call them through this, 'historical' thing." She used her fingers to quote Mirta. Stella got out her dimensional-phone card and handed it to Bloom.

"There's a phone booth over there. We'll be in the store over there when you're done." Stella pointed across the street, Bloom followed her gaze, nodding her thanks before hurrying across the street. "Come on M. We should go find a phone for B." She said, turning once to look at Bloom as she entered the phone booth, inserting the card to a slot. Mirta nodded, and they both walked off towards a nearby electronics store.

The store smelled like bleach, Stella immediately thought as she stepped inside, the walls were lined with phones, laptops, and other gadgets that Stella didn't bother to remember the name of. The store clerk was definitely from Zenith, the traditional pale skin, bright-colored hair, and blue eyes. "Good evening. What can I get for you?" She asked, stepping around the counter. The one reason Stella hadn't talked much to Zenithans was because of their lack of emotion, this girl was wiped clean of emotion.

"We're looking for a phone for our friend." Mirta answered and the store clerk nodded, gesturing for them to follow her to a display case. There were many different phones lining the wall, Mirta selected a dark red and black phone, holding it up. Stella observed it before shaking her head, picking up a dark blue and dark red phone, holding it up for Mirta to see. Mirta tilted her head to the side, picking up a dark blue and black phone.

Stella shrugged, "We should probably ask her what colors she wants. Stay here, I'm going to check on B." Stella said, handing Mirta the phone in her hand, before stepping outside. She observed the street, looking for the bright-red hair of her friend, the phone booth was empty but there was no sign of Bloom. "Excuse me. Have you seen a bright red-haired girl walking around?" She asked a nearby pedestrian.

The pedestrian ignored her, continuing to walk down the street. Stella scowled, glancing down at her leggings and maroon sleeveless turtleneck. She turned to another pedestrian, repeating the question and getting no answer. "Hey S. I told the store clerk we would be back in a little bit. What's going on? Where's B?" Mirta emerged from the store, firing the questions the minute she spotted Stella.

Stella ran her fingers through her hair, "I don't know where B is. I keep asking everyone, but they keep ignoring me." Stella scowled at the people around her, crossing her arms. Mirta rolled her eyes before walking up to someone and asking them with a sweet smile, almost pixie-like. Mirta walked back seconds later, "Did they actually give you an answer? By the dragon, I will personally blind these people." She glared at the nearby pedestrians.

Mirta giggled, "Yes. They gave me an answer, they said that they saw Bloom walk that way." She pointed across the street, to the left of the phone booth. Stella shifted, slightly uncomfortable before following Mirta across the street. They began looking around the street, Mirta suddenly stopped, "Hey, do you hear that?" She asked, dragging Stella down the street, turning a corner before entering an alleyway.

"The trix." Stella muttered, ducking near the building, she shivered at the sudden decrease in temperature. The alleyway was covered in ice, drops of snow falling from the sky and the witches were cackling at their victory. Stella glanced around the corner, immediately cloaking their magical energy in case the second-oldest Trix noticed their presence. The witches were staring at a huge ice block.

Stella glanced at the ice, her blood freezing in her veins, the outline of Bloom was trapped in the ice. "Hello little freshling. We're the Trix." The oldest witch said, ice sprinkling at her fingertips. She was dressed in all dark blue, her skin stretched over her high cheekbones. The other witches were staring, smirking at the figure stuck in ice. Stella knew her friend wouldn't last long in that ice, it would freeze her.

"Hey. Leave our friend alone." Stella announced her presence stepping forward, Mirta face-palmed before stepping forward as well. The witches snapped their gazes to her, their eyes filled with cool mirth. Stella almost shivered but kept herself together.

Icy stared coolly at her, her eyes cold and filled with dark amusement, "Seriously. Knut attack." She ordered as the yellow-ogre from earlier made his own presence known. Stella almost shivered, before smirking unconcerned at the ogre. He growled before lunging at the two witches, slamming his fists into their direction. They both rolled to the side, dodging the blow, before sharing a glance.

" _Deepest Fear._ " Mirta whispered, conjuring a dark-red monster, that lunged at Knut, he stepped back. Fear evident in his eyes before he growled but there wasn't the same ferocity as before. The monster merely dodged his blow, grabbing him and chucking him backwards. Knut hit the wall, a dazed expression evident on his face. Stella glanced at Mirta, giving her a thumbs-up.

Icy growled, her hands glowing with magic, ice swirling around her fingers. "That's it." She growled, her hands glowing brighter. Stella cursed underneath her breath, they had already gotten off on the wrong foot, it might have been a bad idea if she cared enough. The trix had sent an ogre to retrieve her scepter, that pissed her off slightly. She was going to get revenge.

"It's time to go." She said, sliding her ring off her finger, "Ring of Solaria." She threw her ring up, catching the warm scepter that fell into her hands. She caught Icy's eyes, smirking at her, causing the ice witch to glare back, firing her magic. Stella swung her scepter in an arc, transporting them to a shop corner. Bloom, who had been stuck in the ice, blinked slightly, her teeth chattering and her lips almost blue.

Stella quickly gathered her magic in her hands, holding them out to Bloom to try and warm her up. Bloom giggled, delirious with cold. "Magix is so bright." She muttered to herself, Stella's eyes widened, resorting to light rays to try and get Bloom to warm up. "You're like a ray of sunshine and I'm a burning pit of fire." Bloom smiled, staring with bleary eyes, figures blurring in and out together.

Sharing a glance with Mirta, who walked to the bus stop, ready to alert them when the bus arrived. "Sure B." She answered, smiling slightly at the childish expression Bloom wore. Stella continued to try, watching Bloom blink slowly. "Hey, you've got to stay awake." She gently nudged her friend.

"The bus is here." Mirta announced minutes later, helping Stella get Bloom on the bus. The driver shot them a strange look as they walked to the back, past a group of pixies. One of the pixies, a caramel haired girl with tan skin and emerald green irises, she was wearing a pink folded over crop top with a red knee-length skirt with red heels and pink socks, her bangs a light gold color.

"Is she ok?" The pixie inquired, staring at Bloom with a concerned and warm expression. Stella didn't know whether to like or dislike the pixie, she was so nice, it was hard to want to be mean to her, but the pixies around her didn't seem pleased with talking to witches. "I'm Flora. These are my friends, Tecna and Musa." The pixie introduced herself, gesturing to the purple-haired Zenithan and the blue-haired Melody pixie.

"Yes. She's fine. We just encountered some classmates of ours." Mirta answered, and Stella shot her a warning glance, shifting with Bloom's weight on her shoulder. Mirta seemed to acknowledge her look, sitting Bloom in a seat behind the pixies and Stella sat down beside Bloom, keeping her friend upright so that she would stay awake.

Flora nodded, as the bus stopped at Alfea. "Well, I'll see you around." She and the three other pixies got off the bus. Stella remained silent the rest of the ride, making sure Bloom stayed awake before they got off at Cloud Tower, climbing the stairs to their rooms. Once they entered, they placed Bloom in her bed, Kiko immediately helping to warm her up. They placed her under the blankets.

Stella used her magic to warm Bloom up, she would probably be up soon enough, as Bloom fell asleep, her teeth not chattering anymore. She slipped out the door, closing it in the process. Lucy and Mirta's room was closed, the girl herself probably inside. Stella walked past the room, Bloom was definitely getting revenge when she woke up.

* * *

"Thanks for helping me girls." Bloom said, sitting on the couch, she took a brief moment to glare at Lucy's door, before returning her attention to Stella and Mirta. Stella nodded, smiling as she slung an arm over Bloom's shoulder, "You know, I've been thinking. We've bonded so quickly, maybe we should become a coven." Bloom suggested suddenly.

Stella stood up, "Maybe we should wait till next year so that we can figure out if it is what we really want. Besides it takes a while to become a coven, we also have to approach Mrs. Griffon about it." Stella smiled, she didn't know if she wanted to be a witch fully, it was something new she was trying and becoming a coven would make it permanent. Bloom seemed to understand her hesitation, nodding her head.

Mirta glanced at the clock, "We should get some sleep, we've got classes at 8:00 tomorrow." She said, standing up from the couch and dusting herself off. She smiled slightly, before disappearing inside of her room, shutting the door silently behind her. Stella watched her leave for a minute, sitting on the couch with Bloom in an almost comfortable silence.

"So, why were you on your phone earlier?" Bloom suddenly asked, and Stella felt her lips turn down into a frown, as she picked at her leggings, she didn't like talking about her problems. Especially when people just stared at her sympathetically, "It's pretty obvious that you and Brandon have history. You were both staring at each other almost the entire time during the fight."

Stella knew that Bloom was referring to the fight they had encountered when Knut tried to attack them the second time on Earth, and it sent shivers through her. Brandon had been looking at her too, or maybe he was just doing his job as a wannabe hero. "Brandon wants to meet up with me this weekend." She finally answered, staring at the ceiling for a minute. She didn't miss the confused look that crossed Bloom's face.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Bloom asked.

Stella shrugged, letting her shoulders fall hopelessly. "I'm a witch and he's a hero. He doesn't want to be with me that way." She finally said, standing up from the couch and disguising her emotions as quickly as she could. "Come on we should get to bed, I don't want to oversleep for classes tomorrow." Stella changed the subject, walking towards their shared room.

Bloom followed her moments later, entering the room with Kiko in her arms, "Whenever you need me. I'm here for you Stel." Bloom said, changing into her nightclothes and lifting the covers of her bed, falling into the bed. She turned to her side, turning off the lamp and the conversation was dropped. Stella sighed, changing into her own nightclothes and stepping into the warmth of her bed, shutting out her lamp, encasing the room in darkness.

* * *

Classes, and eventually days flew by without any problems. Of course, there were looks shared between Bloom and Lucy and the Trix were always mean whenever they saw the trio. Otherwise it was easy for Stella to wake up that Saturday, the first week of school had practically exhausted her. She hadn't talked to Brandon that much this past week, only agreeing to meet him at a café at noon.

She slid out of bed, grabbing a towel and hopping into the shower, allowing the warm water to strip away the grim of sleep and peeling away the layers she hid herself behind. Once she finished the shower, she stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself and using another to towel-dry her hair. Bloom was still fast asleep in her bed, Kiko sleeping in his bed next to her. Bloom's eyebrows were furrowed, but she wasn't muttering as much in her sleep as she had been.

Stella walked to her closet, closing the door behind her and scanning her clothes. She grabbed a dark-orange shirt with a low neckline showing a bit of cleavage but with strings crisscrossing the gap. She slid on a dark blue tank top before sliding that shirt on, grabbing a pair of ripped black skinny jeans and heeled dark brown boots. Brushing out her hair, she stepped out of the walk-in closet, snapping her fingers to straighten her hair and sliding her bans to the left with a black butterfly clip.

"Where are you going?" Bloom muttered, getting up from her bed, she checked the clock beside her which read _10:33_. "Oh shoot, it's really late." She said, sliding out of bed and grabbing a towel. "You're going to meet up with Brandon, aren't you?" Bloom inquired, folding her towel over her arm and walking into the bathroom but not shutting the door.

Stella shrugged, trying to remain nonchalant. "Yeah. He wants to meet up at noon, so I was thinking of getting some shopping in before then." She said, shopping was her escape, especially when her emotions became too much for her to bear. Bloom nodded her head, stepping into the entryway separating the bathroom from the rest of the room.

"Can I come with you? I've been meaning to get a phone but with the school load I've been pretty busy." Bloom asked, and Stella nodded, "Can you get me some clothes? I'm going to take a quick shower." Bloom pointed to her closet and Stella nodded again as Bloom closed the bathroom door and Stella heard the water of the shower start moments later.

She walked into her best friend's messy closet, scanning the rack of clothes for something her friend could wear. She grabbed a black tank-top and a dark-blue leather jacket that she had got for Bloom as a welcome-to-Magix present. She also grabbed some black leggings with a light brown belt around the waist and some dark blue high tops. Stella sighed, exiting the closet and putting the clothes on Bloom's bed.

Stella fell back onto her own bed, grabbing her phone off the charger and going through the messages Brandon had sent her. She hesitatingly called him, hearing the phone go straight to voice-mail after a few rings. "Um hey, I was wondering if you still wanted to meet up at the café at noon. So, I guess I'll see you then if you still are coming." She stood up walking towards the window in their room before hanging up.

She wiped the frown off her face as Bloom exited the bathroom, walking into her closet with the clothes on her bed and coming back, her hair still dripping wet. "I can't figure out how to magically dry my hair without it becoming a tornado mess." Bloom huffed, sitting down in a desk chair and spinning around in the chair. Stella chuckled, snapping her fingers as Bloom's hair dried and became a braid down her back, her bangs clipped to the side with a bobby pin.

"You're welcome." Stella rolled her eyes, grabbing a sling purse, throwing her phone and wallet inside of it along with Bloom's wallet. Together they both exited the room, finding Mirta reading a book on the couch, her hair in a messy bun, strands framing her face. "Hey, we're going out to Magix, want to come?" Stella inquired as Mirta glanced up from the book she was reading, her hand resting on the page.

"No thanks." Mirta answered, shaking her head, before going back to her book.

Stella shrugged as they left the room, walking towards the bus stop and waiting for the bus to get there. "So, what are you and Brandon doing? Is this a date?" Bloom finally asked, breaking the silence. Casually, Stella glanced around shoving her hands into her jean pockets, she didn't want anyone to hear about her meet-up with Brandon, it was something she wasn't looking forward to.

"I don't know. He just wants to talk at a café." Stella answered, ignoring the hurt she felt that how she felt went unrequited. She shrugged, getting on the bus and going towards the back before sitting down in an empty seat. Bloom followed after her along with the few other witches that were headed to Magix. "I don't really want to talk about it." She said, staring out of a window.

"Oh Stel. What did he do to you?" Bloom muttered underneath her breath before leaning back with a casual smile on her face. Stella purposefully pretended she didn't hear the comment, as Bloom changed the subject, talking about random things just to keep the conversation from dying. Stella listened with one ear, her eyes staring out the window, riding past the forest, trees lining the road and speeding past. For a moment, she could close her eyes and imagine the wind in her hair as she rode on the back of a windrider with a boy all too familiar.

She opened her eyes, that was when she had been a pixie, she shouldn't think about that, because forming attachments to heroes only meant that she would get hurt. Bloom nudged her, signifying they had arrived in the grand city of Magix. When they had first arrived, Bloom had stared at the buildings with barely disguised awe but now she stepped off the bus coolly, her eyes slightly awed but not as much.

They both walked off to the side, weaving their way through the thick crowd getting off the bus to go spend the day in Magix and towards a somewhat empty part of the sidewalk. "So, where to first?" Bloom inquired, glancing around the nearby shops. Stella stopped, dragging Bloom to the side to avoid a particularly busily woman who looked down their nose at them with a sneer before moving on, butlers following her.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, sliding a glare over to the woman. "Well I don't really need anything. So, let's go get you a phone." She said. Bloom nodded, her face slightly confused before she slid into step beside Stella as they walked down the sidewalk, going in the electronics store from the day of orientation. "Hey, it's us again." She waved to the store clerk from last time before going back to looking at the phones.

The woman quirked an eyebrow, "I suppose this is your version of 'we'll be back later.'" The woman quoted, her lips tilted up into a somewhat sarcastic look before she wiped her face clear. Bloom looked confused before Stella rolled her eyes, dragging her friend to the phones. "Would you like to see the two you reserved from last time?" The woman suddenly appeared next to them, holding the two phones out. Bloom picked up the two phones curiously, before selecting the dark blue and dark red phone and handing the other back.

Stella chuckled, getting out her card and handing it to the store clerk. Bloom rolled her eyes, "Stel, I can pay for the phone." She said, even though the cashier had already rung them up and proceeded to box and bag the phone. Stella just shook her head, accepting the card back, "Fine, I'll pay you pack later." Bloom huffed, taking the bag with a smile before giving Stella a determined look.

Stella shook her head, "Nope, just take it as a gift B." Stella said, smiling at the store clerk before they both walked out. She checked the time on her own phone, mentally sighing, _11:28_ , before sliding it back into her pocket. She had a little more than half an hour to meet Brandon, if he showed up that is. "I've got half an hour, so let's walk to the café. Do you want to go to an art store or something?"

Bloom glanced around, "I don't know. Doesn't art seem a little pixie-like?" She shrugged her shoulders, eyeing the store fronts.

Stella giggled, "You don't have to change who you are to be a witch, it'll come naturally. Besides, most artist in the Magic Dimension have a bit of an evil side." She said, guiding them to the café. "Here, I'll insert my number into your phone, just glance at the screen ever now and then, and let me know when you're ready to leave if I'm not already ready." Stella sighed, plastering a smile on her face.

Bloom patted her shoulder before walking into a nearby art shop. Stella watched her for a minute, before slowly turning to the café looming across the street. A casual hang-out inhabited by fairies, witches, and heroes. Usually, they arrived at separate times or just avoided being near each other, in the case of witches and fairies. Stella glanced from side to side before crossing the street and pushing the door open.

She was instantly greeted with the smell of coco beans; the café was warm with treats arranged in the front mirror. She slid into a booth in the back, picking up a menu and scanning through it. She was early by more then ten minutes, but Stella had a feeling she would need all the soothing the café had to offer her. "Hello, I'm Flora. What can I get for you?" A voice asked from over her.

Stella glanced up, the girl, now that she had a closer look had the earthy air of a fairy from Lynphea. "Oh hey, I remember you. I'm Stella." Stella introduced herself politely, the diplomatics of being a princess taking over.

Flora nodded, recognition lighting her eyes as she slid into the seat across from her. "Nice to meet you." She said sweetly, Stella wanted to notice that something was wrong, pixies were never that nice to witches, but Flora was just a generally unbiased fairy. "How's your friend? She make it to Cloud Tower alright?" Flora inquired, a concerned look entering her eyes, as she gestured for one more minute at who Stella assumed to be her boss.

"Yeah. Bloom's fine." Stella filled in the lingering question of the name, she shrugged her shoulders casually, checking the time with her phone. She glanced again at the door, "I'm actually waiting for a friend, can I have a few more minutes or something to decide?" She asked, Flora nodded with a smile before standing up and walking to another table.

"I see you're still hanging out with pixies." Lucy appeared behind her, her arms folded across her chest and a few of her so-called friends surrounding her. "And who are you waiting for? A steroid filled boy toy of the pixies. You know he's not going to stick around, especially with pixies, just how it works _princess_." Lucy spat the last word with so much venom, Stella almost winced.

She stood up, turning to Lucy. "Can you leave me alone? Or are you really that obsessed with me that you keep coming back for more?" Stella smirked, watching as Lucy glowered at her, her smirk fading. "I guess Bloom hexing you so much in the past week is not enough for you to go away since you keep coming back for more." She waved her fingers around, sparks shooting in between.

Lucy glared, sticking her nose up. "Whatever." She said, clearly have nothing to retort, "We don't need to be in the presence of a former pixie, not to mention a disowned princess." Lucy said, before walking around, her friends following after her with nearly identical sneers. Stella winced, before sitting down and grabbing onto her menu in order to not rip someone apart.

She checked her time again, _12:04_ , he was late, she thought with a pang of sadness, scanning the menu instead. "Sorry I'm late." Brandon said a few minutes later, sliding into the seat across from her. He was wearing his casual outfit and had his arms folded across his chest. "I'm surprised you came." He said, picking up the menu, "since you are a witch now." Stella winced at her sentence.

She crossed her arms, "A witch wouldn't agree to meet with a boy on steroids. Especially a boy who essentially stabbed her in the back." She said coldly, covering her wince. "Give me one good reason that I should be here, since you can't help but to remind me how shallow you are." Stella noticed how his jaw tensed, he casually looked over the menu, his chocolate-colored eyes cold.

"What am I supposed to do as a hero-in-training when you tell me you want to be evil?" Brandon asked but Flora walked by, picking up on the tense air, "Flora, it's nice to see you again." He smiled at her, traces of frostiness disappearing into warmth. Stella widened her eyes at the fact that they knew each other but quickly disguised her curiosity as indifference. "Can I have a black coffee?" He asked.

Flora nodded, jotting the item down before turning to Stella. "Can I have a coffee as well and a cheese croissant?" Stella asked, handing Flora the menu. Flora smiled, taking the menu before taking Brandon's menu and saying she would be right back.

Brandon's warm look disappeared as soon as she went to another table, "How do you know Flora?" He asked, his eyes once-again cold. Stella almost shivered under the intensity of his darkened chocolate eyes, in that moment he seemed so much more vicious than she could ever be. Stella crossed her arms, trying to disguise her uneasiness, she never felt terrified to be around him.

"I don't believe you wanted to meet me to see who Flora has met before. Unless you are trying to get with her." She glanced over to Flora, "You don't seem to have a type, as long as it is a pixie, right?" Stella watched surprise cross his face for a single minute before he went back to being cold. Finally, something other than the barely disguised anger and distrust. He gripped the table tightly, looking like he wanted to flip the table over. "Dragon forbid it is a disgusting witch."

Brandon smirked, "Glad we can agree one something." He said, accepting the coffee cup Flora placed in front of him. Flora smiled warmly, placing the croissant in front of Stella and pouring her a steaming mug of coffee. Stella covered up her hurt, disgusting, low blow from someone who she used to call her friend, maybe even more than friends. She guessed that since she was pixie, he deemed her perfect for his time of day.

"I'm glad I became a witch." Stella mused to herself, stirring in some sugar to her coffee. "It has taught me that steroid-filled wannabe heroes are so not worth my time, because they only want anything to do with me if I'm a goody-two-shoes." She watched Brandon's expression slip, as he became slowly angrier, but then a bit hurt. Why should he feel hurt? She didn't tell him that she never wanted to speak to him again, that was all him.

She took a sip of her coffee, sliding her gaze outside. "How did you think anyone would react, you basically told me you wanted to be evil. What would you have done if I decided to become a warlock?" Stella calmly sat her coffee cup down, tightening her hand into a fist underneath the table. She didn't want him to see how pissed-off he was making her, she didn't want him to see her cry, he'd already done that and walked away.

"Then I would have supported you because I knew you. I knew you were good, and because _friends_ support each other." Stella glared, blinking back the frustrated tears in her eyes. "If you had known me, you would have let me finish that day when I would have said I wanted to be a good witch. If I had known you were just like every other guy, then I would have never let you anywhere near me." She snapped, watching his face drain of color, he had stormed off before he let her finish. "Congratulations on proving me wrong."

Stella should have printed out an award for him, she glanced away from him, seeing if anyone had been listening in on the brewing argument but everybody was focused on themselves. She took a bite of her croissant, even if her appetite had died down, she couldn't waste money on something she wouldn't eat. Her parents hadn't even called her since she left, who's to say they weren't in the process of disowning her and severing all ties with her.

For a minute, she wandered if her decision had been wrong, but it wasn't. She wanted to fight for witches having equal rights to fairies, but that idea seemed so far away. Like a nightmare where she kept running for something, but she would never move more than an inch to it. "I think we're done here." Stella finally said, breaking the silence as Brandon swallowed the last drop of his coffee, he hadn't said a thing since her explosion and could she blame him. She, a witch, made herself vulnerable to a hero that had shattered her heart.

She stood up, wrapping her croissant into several napkins and glancing around looking for Flora. Flora spotted her, coming over and handing her a bill, her warm smile slipped once she recognized the atmosphere and concern took over before she was called to another table. Brandon, seeming to come out of his stupor, stood up as well, grabbing her arm to prevent her from leaving. "No, you can't just walk away after that, we need to talk about it." Brandon said lowly.

Stella ripped her arm away. "I'm tired to talking to you. What do you want from me? I cared about you and you ripped my heart in two." She whispered, lowering her voice so nobody could hear her. "I should have never let you have my heart." She whispered again, before she walked out. Her head held high as she walked down the street before slipping into an alley where no one could find her and see the silent tears that finally escaped nor hear the stifled sobs.

* * *

Brandon sat in the coffee shop for a long time, contemplating what Stella had said, for a moment he saw a vulnerable girl that he had hurt. He had hurt her and ruined their relationship. He couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but by the hollowed feeling in his chest he knew that it was bad. He stayed until he had to leave the coffee shop, Flora had left over four hours ago, waving goodbye before disappearing out the door and into the busied streets of Magix.

He stepped into the cool late summer air, Saturday had made the streets of Magix seem lively, crowded with students from all three schools. Last year he had met Stella on a night like tonight, she had been sitting with a group of girls before walking up to him, and they began flirting with each other. It had started a chain of hanging-out on Saturday nights, enjoying themselves.

He walked down the sidewalk, no destination in mind, hands stuffed inside his jean pockets, wishing that he had cleared things up with Stella. It took a summer without her to realize that he cared a little too much for the blonde now-witch, and he would have been happy if things turned out the exact way half of him wanted them to. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, seeing _Sky_ flash across the screen. Brandon sighed, answering the phone call.

" _Hey man, how'd things go with Stella?_ " Sky immediately asked, the upper half of his body was visible through the miniature green hologram produced by his dark green and orange phone. Sky had been there when Brandon had been fighting himself on whether he should just call Stella, he was so easygoing with the whole ordeal. Even though now he was in a comparable situation, well not entirely but Sky did have a bit of an attraction to Bloom.

Brandon sighed, "It was absolutely shitty." He admitted, running his hands through her hair, "We were just arguing back and forth the entire time until she walked out." Brandon continued to walk, anger increasing his brisk pace. "Please tell me we're going to be doing something tonight." He glanced at his friend.

Sky nodded, " _Yeah, Timmy received an invite from Tecna asking for them to come to a party in their dorm room. I mean it might not be so fun for us, but at least we get to set Timmy and Riven up with somebody._ " Sky said, shrugging his shoulders. " _You wanna come?"_ He asked. Brandon glanced ahead of him, dodging a few angry pedestrians before glancing back down at his best friend.

"Sure. I'll meet you there." He finally said.

* * *

 **Ok so, how was it? I mean if you watch the specials you'll notice that this was when the girls were ordered to clean the entire school by Griselda as a first-year assignment. I'm just going to warn you that I'm not using a lot of the lines used in the show, this is going to be difficult. I hoped you liked the meeting between Brandon and Stella, now we understand their misunderstanding and that they both are confused about how they feel. The next chapter will be the concluding chapter for the first special, hopefully and a lot is going to happen.**

 **See you next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so sorry for the shortness of this chapter, I didn't mean for it to be so short and I tried to extend it a little bit, adding parts here and there. But, in the end I couldn't make it any longer. Anyways I hope you like the finale to the first special. The Fate of Bloom. I'm going by a few scenes in the special, an example being Bloom's nightmare and Stella being there as her roommate, or the party Brandon went to at Alfea in the last chapter. Of course I can't end this with Bloom announcing she is a fair because she transformed for the first time. But I did add a special part. Anyways on with the story.**

 **Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

The Fate of Bloom

* * *

Chapter 3

It had been a little more than two months since the start of the school year, Stella mused to herself, sipping casually at a latte at her now-favorite café. Bloom and Mirta were seated across from her, Bloom talking about some boring story from one of the lectures. Stella didn't bother to pretend she was interested in the story, Bloom may be the closest she has ever had to a best friend but that didn't mean that her stories were not a bit hazzardly. Stella balanced her face on the palm of her hand, glancing around the café.

She supposed it was the 'witches' hour in the café because there were barely any heroes, other than the proclaimed bad boys, and there were zero pixies. Her gaze snagged on Lucy who was sitting near the two of the Trix sisters, her face twisted into something resembling a smirk. Stella rolled her eyes before looking back at Bloom and Mirta, Bloom seemed to be coming to a close with her story and rolled her eyes at the fact that Stella was not paying attention.

Bloom had given up on getting Stella to listen to her story over an hour ago because it had become clear that she wasn't going to. "So, what's on your mind?" Bloom suddenly asked, taping a sip of her vanilla milkshake, stirring her straw around a bit. Stella's face almost slid out of her hand as she blinked a couple of times, finally understanding Bloom's question.

She shrugged, "Not much." She answered, she didn't like the idea of dodging answering the question, but she couldn't even begin to understand her emotions so why she would tell someone else. Bloom gave her a disbelieving gaze, telling her to elaborate, "Look I really don't want to talk about it, so just leave it B." Stella said, taking another sip of her latte before sitting it down on the table.

Bloom narrowed her eyes slightly in response and opened her mouth to say something but was cut off my Mirta. "Anyways." She started, enunciating the word pointedly. Mirta glanced around the café uneasily, trying to change the subject and while Stella appreciated the effort, she knew that Bloom wasn't dropping the subject. "I met this guy the other day who goes to Red Fountain, his names Bishop." Mirta finished.

Stella covered up her shock although she was pretty sure it showed. "Wow. Mirta-"

"I know." Mirta cut her off, but her shoulders were slightly deflated, and she wasn't meeting Stella's eyes as bravely anymore. "But not everyone at Red Fountain is going to be like that. When I'm around Bishop, he makes me feel confident in myself, he makes me feel like what I am doesn't matter anymore." Mirta said, her eyes darting over to Lucy for a minute and Stella immediately understood.

Lucy had hurt Mirta's feelings a lot more than Mirta led on. Stella shared a glance with Bloom before turning back to Mirta, forcing a smile. "Well I think that it's great that someone is making you feel that way. Just let us know if he hurts you so that we can hex him." Stella winked and Mirta smiled, before turning to Bloom expectantly.

Bloom swallowed a bite of her muffin, "I think that's awesome M. I'm happy for you." Bloom said with an encouraging smile before she turned back to Stella, her smile dropping slightly. "Stel, we never asked what happened that day. We've been respectively waiting for you to talk about it. I know that the guys, Brandon especially, hurt you but I can't help you if you don't let me in." Bloom said, reaching a hand across the table and grabbing Stella's hand.

Stella instinctively winced before relaxing, "I know." She said simply, before she sighed. "You know how last year I was a pixie, well fairy. I met Brandon, Sky, Timmy, and Riven last year because we got paired together one some missions and I grew very close to Brandon even though I'm a princess and he's a squire. We were very close to each other, on the step of becoming more than friends." Stella whispered, wincing as the memories collectively slid in front of her eyes.

Bloom's response was to grip her hand comfortingly and Stella managed a watery smile before her smile fell. Mirta said nothing but she did offer a comforting sad smile.

"When I accidently caused the potions lab to explode I had been effectively kicked out of Alfea. My father wanted to pay for the damages and reenroll me, but I didn't want to. Over the past year I had observed as discrimination against witches became more and more violent. So, I made the decision to become a witch, my parents were furious." Stella smiled wryly, closing her eyes and sliding her hand away from Bloom. "I decided to tell Brandon and his reaction was that he couldn't believe that I wanted to be evil, but I didn't. I wanted to be a good witch, but Brandon wouldn't listen to me. They cut me off."

Bloom gasped, "By the Dragon, I didn't know. Sky has never mentioned anything about this to me." Bloom said, and Stella frowned slightly but didn't pry. Sky hadn't really done the worst damage, but he hadn't stopped it, or listened. "Oh Stel, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for prying, I didn't know." Bloom apologized profusely, her eyes sad and sympathetic.

Stella forced herself to smile, "Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known B, I hadn't really told anyone my side of things." She sighed. She forced herself to calm down, blinking away her tears before turning back to Mirta. "So, you and Bishop, huh? When did that happen?" She changed the subject, it may not have worked but Mirta just nodded her understanding before talking about how she met the sophomore hero.

* * *

It had been a few days since the conversation in the café, Stella plopped down on the couch with a bag of chips and a can of lemonade. She grabbed the remote beside the couch and began flipping through channels, the news reporter seemed to have moved on from the gossip revolving the Solarian monarchy and was now reporting a 'precious' jewel that was stolen. Stella opened the can of lemonade and took a sip before setting it down and picking up a textbook.

The week had flown by, just as the last week, and it was now Thursday night, meaning they had the weekly quiz to study for which took place every Friday. Stella sighed, flipping through the textbook disinterestedly and stopping on the sixth chapter of the second book. She grabbed a notepad and began copying down some notes. Notetaking and studying had never been her forte, she barely ever wanted to study.

But in Cloud Tower, she studied more than she ever had, even when prepping to rule a kingdom. The last year, she supposed had changed her. Now it was a matter of deciding whether the change was a food thing. "You should really stop procrastinating or studying while watching TV." Mirta reprimanded, grabbing the remote before sitting down on a chair to Stella's right. Stella huffed, rolling her eyes, some things about her would never change, such as her procrastination.

"Hey, I was watching that." Stella pouted, lowering the textbook as Mirta changed the channel from what Stella had settled on.

Mirta gave her a look, "You _should_ be studying. Not watching TV." Mirta said. Stella groaned before she lifted the book back up before lowering it again. Mirta, noting the action, was already shaking her head. "Nope. You are not using my notes again." She said, and Stella pouted, giving her the puppy-eyes. Mirta narrowed her eyes in response, still shaking her head.

"Please M. You don't want me to fail, do you?" Stella clasped her hands together, the book resting in her lap. Mirta just rolled her eyes in response, turning resolutely back to the TV. Stella continued to pout at her friend's back before giving up and throwing her hands up. "Fine, I'll just fail miserably on my own and be disowned by my parents all because you didn't give me notes." Stella said overdramatically, putting a hand to her chest and falling back onto the couch.

Ever since opening up to the girls, she felt like she could finally let down her walls a bit and be herself around the girls. Not so much around anyone else. Mirta continued to watch the TV. "I'm not falling for _that_ again." Mirta stated simply. Stella just smiled to herself before picking up her book again. She didn't really care about getting the notes, there was a certain pride to be achieved about doing it herself.

Bloom opened the door, dropping her books on the table and plopping down on another lounging chair. "I hate these hallways. Some witch decided it would be a good idea to switch them around, so I ended up having to walk further from what I originally planned." Bloom groaned, gesturing towards the textbooks and library books she had been carrying. Bloom glanced over to the TV and sighed, relaxing herself in the chair.

Stella lowered her book, dropping it in the spot beside her. "Sounds terrible." She said, sympathetically. "With you two around I don't think I'm ever going to finish this chapter, it is so boring." Stella rolled her eyes as she stared distastefully at the book sitting beside her.

Bloom raised an eyebrow. "I can't believe you waited so long to finish reading." Bloom said, picking up a maroon-colored library book.

"You mean start." Mirta corrected and Stella smiled sheepishly.

"Still." Bloom said, flipping through the book. "I've been trying to find a book about who I am, but I haven't had any luck. It feels like someone keeps rearranging the books every time I leave, and I keep having to start from basically scratch." Bloom dropped the book unenthusiastically. "I already know that I come from a fire-based planet but that could be essentially any planet and none of them I feel connected towards."

Stella glanced over her book, "Maybe it's a planet that doesn't exist anymore." She suggested, wincing at the prospect. "You should ask Mrs. Griffon about fire-based planets, I mean she was a member of the company of light. If anyone should know, it would be either her or Mrs. Faragonda." Stella advised, copying down another note from the textbook.

"Mrs. Faragonda? The company of light?" Bloom asked bewildered.

Stella chuckled, "I'm guessing you haven't gotten that far in the book I gave you in the beginning of the year with all of the books we've been reading. Mrs. Faragonda is the headmistress of Alfea, the school for pixies." Stella supplied, not remembering if she had told Bloom the same thing in the beginning of the year. "The company of light was a group of people founded to fight for good in the Magic Dimension and were essentially the saviors of the universe. They were disbanded about sixteen years ago when two of the founders disappeared during the attack on Domino." Stella said, remembering what she could of her lectures on the History of the Universe.

Bloom perked up slightly, "Domino? Is that another planet?" Bloom asked, and Stella nodded, sharing a glance with Mirta. She didn't remember much on Domino, probably a lecture she had fell asleep during, but it caused an odd shiver to shoot down her back.

Mirta nodded, "Yes, many people know about the horror of Domino." Mirta said, shivering slightly. She quickly opened her laptop and began typing, many screens popped up in front of her and she handed the laptop to Bloom. "Domino was one of the fiercest planets in the Magic Dimension and myth said that it was the final resting place of the Great Dragon, the strongest magic in the universe and the creator of the universe. Three witches had heard of the mystical dragon flame and they sought to destroy it and destroyed Domino along with dooming every inhabitant. Nobody really knows what really happened, there's been a lot of speculation."

Bloom shivered, reading the articles floating above the keyboard and moving them around with her fingers. "That's horrible. An entire planet destroyed because of evil witches." Bloom said.

Stella nodded, "The ancestral witches basically created the stigma associated with witches when they destroyed Domino. They made it seem like all of us were evil because of what those witches did. It's witches like them that make good witches very few and far between." Stella explained. "I wanted to become a good witch so that the stigma could somewhat go away, but it will never be forgotten."

"I can't believe it." Bloom said, closing her eyes sadly. It was part of the reason Stella didn't want to tell her about how the history behind witches became even more dark, the exact reaction made her scared that Bloom would be like Brandon. Stella sighed, reaching a hand out to Bloom, patting her shoulder sympathetically. "I mean you girls are good, but it's hard to swallow that someone could do something like that. Destroy so many lives."

Mirta stood up, "I know, it's terrible but it's kind of why I want to be a witch. I want to make a difference in how these people live. If I hadn't met you two, then I wouldn't have remained a witch anymore. I probably would have become a fairy." Mirta said, crouching down next to Bloom.

Bloom managed a watery smile, "Thanks for telling me girls but I just need some time to digest this." She said, gathering her books together and walking down the hallway. Stella and Mirta shared a somber glance, before watching as Bloom shut the door to both her and Stella's room. Stella sighed again, placing her notes in the page of her textbook, learning forgotten as she contemplated what had happened.

"I'm going for a walk." Mirta announced, eyes darting to Bloom's door and back to Stella, mentally telling her to make sure everything was ok. Mirta grabbed a jacket and shrugged it on, she zipped it up before she exited the dorm room. Stella watched her go, falling back on the couch and angrily turning the TV off, resisting the urge to throw the remote at it. She bit her lip before standing up and walking towards her room.

She was about to open the door before she realized that Bloom was talking to someone. "Oh Sky, I can't believe that the ancestral witches could be so cruel. How could someone do this?" Bloom was asking as Stella leaned against the door, glancing down the hallway before she returned her attention back to the conversation.

Eavesdropping might be a bad thing, but Stella was worried that Bloom would want to become a fairy after she learned the truth about the dark history behind witches. Stella dismissed those thoughts as she listened closely, waiting for Sky to respond. " _I know Bloom. But that doesn't mean that you are evil, not all witches are despite the stigma. Anyways, who told you?_ " Sky asked, and Stella was partially touched, she was happy that Sky was sincerely sticking by Bloom even though Bloom knew the truth.

"Stella and Mirta." Bloom answered, and Stella could hear her frustrated sigh, "I can't believe they waited so long to tell me though." Bloom said.

Stella winced at the angered tone in Bloom's voice and the room was silent for a few minutes. " _Maybe they didn't want you to think any less of them and of yourself Bloom._ " Sky answered. Stella couldn't understand why he was being so kind though, he had basically taken Brandon's side throughout the year and suddenly he was being understanding and even kind.

"I would never do that." Bloom protested immediately.

" _But aren't you? You didn't stay in the room after they told you, did you? They must feel like you are disgusted in them and I know you Bloom, you feel like it was your fault about what they did even though you aren't them._ "

Bloom laughed slightly, "Thanks Sky, you always get me. But, if you know all of that, why did you and the rest of the boys cut Stella off after she made the decision to be a witch?" Stella wanted to thank her, for asking the question that had been at the tip of her tongue for a while now, and for a moment she forgot that she was eavesdropping on a conversation that she shouldn't be listening to, but she did want to know.

" _Cut her off?_ " Sky's tone was incredulous. " _She never called us after she admitted to Brandon the truth, and I couldn't call her because of prince duties and because Brandon was hurting because he thought she wanted to be evil._ " Stella almost breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes and sagging against the door, they didn't hate her because of her decision but they had all collectively thought she wanted to be evil. " _Plus, Timmy and Riven weren't that close to her so they didn't even know what to say_."

Stella picked herself off the door and glancing back at it for a moment before walking into the common room and glancing at a nearby mirror. She picked up her phone and scanned through her contacts, fingers hovering over _Brandon's_ name as she watched his contact picture pop up, floating above the screen. An image she never wanted to look at again of him smiling at the camera with a relaxed expression on his face.

She still had many questions but some of her question had been answered and now she had to find a way to talk to Brandon, face to face and soon. She quickly sent a message off to him before looking into the mirror again. Stella, for a minute, wondered whether she had made the right decision contacting Brandon. Her reflection only offered a confused expression in response.

* * *

It had been an hour since Stella had sat down on the couch after texting Brandon and the entire catastrophe had happened, when her phone started ringing. Immediately Stella jumped before quickly grabbing her phone, her hope deflated once she read the contact. It was her mother, not Brandon as she had been hoping. Biting her lip, she accepted the call and allowed a green holograph of her mother to float above the screen.

" _Stella_." Her mother greeted, with a little bit of love in her tone, but it was mostly overshadowed by politeness. Stella winced at the lack of caring and love that she had wished her mother would have had. " _It truly has been a while darling_." Queen Luna said, still with the same polite tone in her voice.

Stella gripped the phone tightly, her mother never called for the sake of talking to her daughter or playing catch-up. She wanted something or had something. "Don't pretend you are calling to see how I'm doing." Stella hissed, watching her mother's façade slip. "What's going on?" For a minute she was worried that her mother would announce the official disowning of her, even though she would rather be in the same room when that happened.

But with her mother like this, she would probably get a phone call in the middle of the night to announce that. " _Your father and I have decided that a divorce would be the most plausible thing for us._ " Her mother announced, and Stella winced, but she covered it up before her mother could notice right away.

"Oh, can't say I'm surprised." Stella responded, trying to not allow her voice to waver as millions of tears seemingly appeared in her eyes, but she blinked them away before they could escape. "Let me guess, are you here to blame me for this, because you two were arguing long before I decided to be a witch." Stella said after a minute, narrowing her eyes at her mother and her mother just crossed her arms in response.

" _I wanted you to hear it from me and not from reporters_."

"Since when did you care about how I felt." Stella retorted, anger thrumming through her veins as her eyes glowed gold for a minute before she released her anger. She didn't want her mother to see her emotional.

Queen Luna, for her part, looked baffled and her polite façade slipped for a minute, " _I'm your mother._ " She said tightly, hurt leaking into her voice.

Stella bitterly laughed, "A mother is supposed to be caring and supportive. Two things I haven't seen from you in years since you are too busy fighting with my father, but I guess that won't change and now that your marriage is over. You and father think that you can still fight, just over me by suddenly changing your attitude." Stella said, her mother opened her mouth to say something, but she cut her off. "I think this conversation is over _mother_ , I'll talk to you later."

With that she hung up and finally allowed the tears to fall. Stella wiped her tears away on the back of her hand, but they kept falling in steady streams.

* * *

Bright light encased the room, Stella forced her eyes open tiredly, glancing across the room. This wasn't the first time one of Bloom's nightmares woke her up, but it was the first time Bloom had started to use magic and magic swirled around the room, floating in the air. Bloom was muttering in her sleep and Stella stood up, debating on how to wake her friend, sometimes she didn't but most of the time she had to because Bloom was struggling so much.

She glanced at the window and noted that the sky began to brighten as the moon set and the sun began to rise. Before sliding her gaze over to the alarm clock, it was maybe twenty minutes before they had to get up. Stella was surprised, Bloom usually never made it through the night without waking Stella up but now she was waking Stella up just in time for Stella to get an earlier rise.

Bloom began to mutter more under her breath and Stella got wisps of words, snapping her out of her contemplation as she began to make her way over to her friend. "Bloom." Stella muttered under her breath, reaching a hand out to shake her friend awake. She frowned once she realized that the effort was in vain and that Bloom had shocked her with the amount of magic thrumming in her veins, ready to burst through her skin.

Bloom continued to mutter incoherently, before her words became clearer as dawn approached. "Remember. What am I supposed to remember?" She asked, turning to her other side before lying flat on her back. She began to mutter more words under her breath and Stella frowned, walking over to her closet and grabbing a few clothes. "What am I supposed to remember?" Bloom asked more loudly, sitting up in bed once Stella returned.

Stella shrugged, "Maybe that we have a couple of quizzes today." She suggested although she highly doubted it. She frowned slightly as she watched Bloom jump before she turned to Stella. "Are you ok? You were muttering quite a bit in your sleep this morning." Stella inquired, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed next to Bloom.

Bloom sighed, "Yeah I think so. It's just this dream I've been having." Bloom said, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Stella bit her tongue as she resisted the urge to say that she knew that Bloom was having nightmares or strange dreams, she had secondhand witnessed them progress. It was usually her waking Bloom up in the middle of the night after the dreams. Bloom threw the covers off her, "I better start getting ready. Talk to you later Stel." Stella watched her disappear into the closet before grabbing her stack of clothes and going to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Stella allowed the water to run over her, placing her palms out in front of her and closing her eyes, tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that her parents were getting a divorce. The marriage she had wished would be fixed was over and broken, at least she had one thing to look forward to, which was if Brandon would meet up with her sometime soon. So, that he could be there for her when she fell apart.

Stella turned the shower off, steam and the towel warming her body, but the fan quickly cooled it and stepped out. She grabbed her phone, checking it but there were no messages there from Brandon. There were a very from Nova, a childhood friend, asking about the latest news, signaling the divorce had happened. She sighed, putting her phone back down and glancing into the mirror, wiping the steam away to glance at her own face. Her phone dinged a second later and she picked it up, seeing the message that lay in her inbox.

 _Brandon: I can't meet Saturday. But maybe on Sunday, at eleven._

* * *

"I wonder why Bloom wanted to study on a Saturday." Mirta said, taking a sip from her smoothie. After classes and after spending so much time taking a bunch of quizzes the day before, they were supposed to be going to their hangout on Saturday in the morning. At the last minute, however, Bloom had opted to stay behind to study a bit more. Even though Stella's instincts warned her that something was wrong, she had ignored that because Bloom was not a liar, plus she wasn't sure whether she wanted to talk about her parent's divorce so soon.

Stella shrugged, munching on chocolate-chip muffin. "Well Bloom is probably reading the book on Magix that I gave her or the many library books she checked out this week. She loves learning new things." Stella swallowed. "So, what are your plans today?" She inquired, changing the subject. Mornings at the café was basically the only times the girls hung out outside their dorm but afterwards they would go off and do their own thing or hang out some more.

Mirta smiled dreamily. "I'm going to catch a movie with Bishop around noon and then we're going to a diner." She said, a blush creeping up her neck and her ears turning a light shade of pink. Stella wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, even though her own plans were a little dry. Brandon hadn't really responded to her when she texted him on Thursday other than to tell her he was busy on Saturday.

"So, like a date." Stella smiled and Mirta's face turned the color of Bloom's hair. Stella internally smirked to herself at succeeding in getting Mirta to blush.

"N-N-No." Mirta stuttered, ducking her head, trying and failing to hide her blush. Stella laughed at the reaction as Mirta regained her bearings. "Well, he hasn't specified if he wants it to be a date." Mirta protested although she was still stuttering over her words.

Their mood dampened however when they noticed Lucy, followed by an electric-blue haired witch with a strong jawline and high cheekbones with ebony colored eyes along with a black-haired witch with less pronounced features. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the _princess_ and the pixie-loving witch. Tell me _princess_ , how do you feel today?" Lucy tutted, stopping in front of their table with the two girls beside her along with a few other witches.

The witches cackled, their lips tilting up into smirks. Stella winced, Lucy had heard the exchange between her and her mother, but she rolled her eyes standing up. "If it isn't the backstabbing witch followed by her swarm of followers because she can't talk to somebody without other people there to back her up. Still can't fight your own battles Lu-Lu." Stella taunted, saying the last part in a sugar-coated tone. The followers immediately shut up, magic sizzling at their fingertips.

Lucy growled, her eyes glowing a blue color. "Backstabbing." She gritted out, laughing slightly. "I wouldn't be saying that to me, not after what I just witnessed." Her eyes darted to Mirta and they softened slightly before steeling up. Stella watched the action, since when did Lucy treat Mirta with anything other than contempt?

"Would you, I don't know, go away? I mean a lot of people are obsessed with me, but I never thought that you would be one of them." Stella said haughtily, flipping her hair for good measure as Lucy glared at her. Stella only smirked in return, before Lucy smirked back. Stella felt her smirk drop, confused at the sudden action before she narrowed her eyes slightly, still caught off guard.

Lucy chuckled, "You don't even know." Her followers followed suit like the typical followers they were. "Where do you think _Bloom_ is right now?" Stella scowled, even though she felt confusion flow through her, what did this have to do with Bloom? Lucy seemed to sense her confusion and her smirk enlarge.

"What does Bloom have to do with anything?" Mirta asked, speaking up for the first time as she put herself in between Lucy and Stella, knowing that Stella's temper had reached its snapping point. Mirta shot Stella a curious glance, and Stella ignored the unasked question about what Lucy clearly knew and used to her advantage when she greeted them.

"I just saw Bloom with a bunch of pixies and steroid-filled hero wannabes walking around the mall in Magix." Lucy finally said after a few minutes. Stella felt her heart drop, she had to be lying. There was no way Bloom would do that, not to them. First her parents' divorce and now Bloom lying to them, it was beginning to be too much for Stella. Stella staggered back but narrowed her eyes, Lucy had to be lying.

She glared, "Bloom wouldn't do that." Stella said all though she was sure her voice wavered. Mirta repeated the same thing, but Stella barely heard her response through the thrumming crashing into her ears.

"Are you sure about that? Why don't you go check? If I'm wrong and it was some other redhead than you can hex me to your little heart's delight." Lucy said, and Stella quickly threw some money on the table, grabbing their leftover food before grabbing Mirta's hand and walking out.

"She has to be lying. There's no way Bloom would do that." Stella said once they exited, slowing her pace down. She didn't want to believe that Bloom would ever do that to them, she didn't want to believe that Bloom was the one who was lying. She ran her fingers through her hair, halting in her tracks. "But why would she basically give us permission to hex her, it doesn't add up for Lucy of all people to suddenly do that."

Mirta sighed, "Lucy is many things, but she isn't a liar. Maybe she saw someone else." Mirta whispered quietly and for a moment Stella realized that Mirta was feeling just as hurt as she was. Mirta had even admitted that the very reason she was still a witch was because they had met, and their fast friendship was why she put up with the quips and taunts made by the other witches.

Stella bit her lip but continued to walk. "We have to know if she was telling the truth." Stella said as they hailed a cab and began the fifteen-minute ride to the mall. The ride was silent, even the driver gave up on conversation upon realizing that they were witches and the silence was tense enough that it could be cut with a knife. Stella stared outside of the window the entire time, watching as people hurried by on the sidewalks, friends walking around in the cool weather.

The driver slowed to a stop at one of the many entrances to the mall, pulling over and rolling down the window separating them from him and held a hand out. Stella dug around in her purse, giving him her card and watching as he rung it up before handing it back to her. He signaled for them to go and Stella released a worried sigh before exiting the lowered hover taxi and walking with Mirta into the mall.

They walked through the opening and were immediately greeted with the sight of hundreds of shoppers hurrying to and from stores, friends catching up while dining on some fast food. Laughter floated around the open area and there were trimmed circular bushes along with flower in the center of the walkways in between stores. Stella tensed slightly, immediately scanning the room for Bloom.

"I don't think we actually thought about how large the mall is and whether or not Bloom could still be here, if she was even here to begin with." Mirta sighed, running a hand through her dark red hair. Stella nodded her head in agreement, "Maybe we should try a small location spell." Mirta whispered, retrieving an image of them all together from her sling bag.

Stella glanced at the picture, it was of them all together, walking side by side with Bloom in the middle and their arms slung carelessly over each other's shoulders. She grabbed Mirta's hand before pulling them into the bathroom and muttering the spell under their breath. The picture glowed a silver color, of both of their magic before guiding them into the food court section of the mall.

They glanced around a little more as the picture pulled them into a specific direction before the magic winked out. Stella and Mirta glanced around before Mirta gasped and pointed to a familiar redhead sitting with four heroes and three pixies. Stella immediately recognized Flora and her companions from the bus, along with the guys. "I can't believe this." Mirta whispered, her voice trembling.

Stella narrowed her eyes, "No way." She muttered before walking over, she was briefly aware of Mirta following her but everything else disappeared from her mind other than that table. "So, this is your version of studying Bloom?" She announced their presence loudly and Bloom gasped, turning around. Her eyes widened once she saw Mirta and Stella standing side by side behind her.

"S. M. I can explain." Bloom said the line that has been said a thousand times before when someone is caught in a lie.

Stella growled, "Only my friends call me S and friends don't lie to each other. They tell the truth." Stella snapped, and watched as Bloom winced, angry tears swelled in her eyes as the rest of the people Bloom was sitting with shared curious glances. "I can't believe that Lucy was right about you, she's not the backstabbing one right now, it's you." Stella wiped furiously at her eyes, her heart cracking as she realized that Bloom had lied to them.

"Alright, everyone calm down. Let's think this through." Sky stood up, standing in front of Bloom, almost like he was protecting her. Stella smirked bitterly, watching as Bloom's new-friends got up as well, surrounding her.

"I should have known from the moment I met you, that you would turn into a pixie. I should have known from your reaction to the Ancestral witches, I guess I thought that you would want to prove that witches could be good. You know what's worse than an evil witch, a lying, deceitful witch." Stella chuckled to herself, forcing away her emotions, she was angry, and she was hurt. But above all, a part of her knew that Bloom was never going to be a witch, she would always turn to being a fairy.

Tears began to fall from Bloom's eyes and Stella almost felt sorry for her, but she stopped herself. Bloom had stabbed her in the back, when she needed her friends the most, she had turned on her, even though they didn't know that she needed them. "S, M, I'm so sorry." Bloom pushed through the people creating a protective bubble around her.

"Don't call me that. You lost the right to that the minute you lied to me." Stella hissed, "I suppose I'm the bad guy, huh. I brought you here and forced you to be a witch, but over and over I gave you the option to not be a witch and repeatedly you said you wanted to be one. You have lied to me from the start, a friendship based on lies." There was nothing Bloom could say to defend herself and that was when one of the pixies piped in.

"She didn't mean to lie to you. If you would just listen to her you'd understand that Bloom is confused about who she is." The dark-blue haired pixie said. "She cares about you, if she didn't do you really think she wouldn't have transferred to Alfea already." The pixie continued.

Stella thought about it for a minute, "And I'm supposed to be ok with being lied to. I'm not supposed to feel hurt and angry that my so-called best friend had to resort to lying to me even though I am perfectly ok with her being friends with pixies and heroes." Stella shook her head, disappointedly. "If you had told me the truth I would have been ok with it, but instead you lied and that is the worst thing you could have done."

Mirta, who Stell had almost forgotten about, wiped away her own tears and turned on her heel. "I can't handle this." Mirta whispered, her voice shaking before she walked away, weaving her way through the crowd. Stella watched her go sadly, feeling the tears well up once again but she forced them away, blinking repeatedly until they disappeared.

Stella turned back to the group, watching as Bloom began to cry on Sky's shoulder, she wanted to soften up, apologize for everything but she wasn't in the wrong. Bloom had lied to her, broken her trust. "You hurt Mirta and you hurt me, for that I won't forgive you, this friendship is over, go and be a pixie Bloom, I won't hold you back anymore." Stella smiled bitterly, wiping away her own tears.

"S, Stella, please don't go. I don't want to lose you." Bloom pleaded, and Stella turned to her, before turning to Brandon. He had chosen to hang out with his friends instead of fixing things with her, she should have never let herself be vulnerable to him. She hoped that her eyes conveyed all of that to him, watching as he held her gaze, sadness and a silent plea swirling inside of them.

'Don't go.' He mouthed, not saying anything and ignoring the looks he received from the friends surrounding him. Stella almost wanted to stay, she almost wanted to run into his arms and say that everything was ok, that nothing would ever change between them. She wanted desperately to stay, but Mirta. Poor Mirta couldn't handle it and she realized that neither could she.

"Too late. You already lost me." Stella whispered, turning on her heel and walking away. Silent tears began to fall, and she ignored the looks she received for the commotion, she ignored everything. She didn't look back, not when Bloom called out to her, and if she had she would have seen Brandon collapse into silent tears. Or she would have seen the Trix watching the exchange, smirks on their faces as they watched a friendship fall apart at the seams.

* * *

 **I know that a lot of you hoped that Bloom would remain a witch, but I never really saw Bloom as the witchy type or in better words I don't know how to make her witchy without her seeming extremely out of character. Sorry for those of you who wanted that to happen. And I warned you that a lot of drama would happen this chapter. Poor Stella but this will get better, at least I think it will. Let me know what you think about it so that I can make this story better without changing the ideas I want to happen.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

Revenge of the Trix

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

" _Please_. Stella please, just listen to me!" Bloom had been saying the same line, well in different variants, since the mall incident. Stella ignored her, trailing her finger over the same line that she read a total of five times since Bloom had came into the room after classes. The two days since the incident had been hellish, leaving Stella in a fit of numbness, like her emotions had been frozen in ice and showed no sign of thawing. She had stuck to turning her phone off at night, the words printed across the holographic screen were too much for her aching heart.

The first night, Bloom had returned and had been begging for her to open their locked door and to explain her case. Stella had only relented, with her comforter and pillow in hand and let Bloom into the room before exiting herself. The couch wasn't as comfortable as a bed, but it wasn't harsh like sleeping in the same room with Bloom and letting Bloom see her at a moment of vulnerability.

Briefly she glanced up, watching as Bloom paced back and forth in the space separating their beds. For a minute, Stella wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, that Bloom's lies hadn't destroyed the foundation of their friendship. She dismissed that thought from her mind, blinking away the mist that had covered her eyes, a sure sign that she was going to cry. Flipping the page in her book, Stella allowed her mind to fill with spells and hexes, dark arts and rituals.

The words on the page soothed her, letting her forget the lies that she had unearthed, the divorce that shattered a marriage, and the leers from people who barely knew her. The book was a comforting weight in her lap, resting on her lap, pages tilted at an angle as she sat with her knees propped up.

As soon as she lost herself in the world of studying, the book was taken from her lap and the culprit held her book next to her head. Bloom looked apologetic, her expression torn between the brokenness Stella had felt and a sense of purpose. "Stella, I know I lied to you, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish there was a way I could change everything from the day I started lying." Bloom had sounded so sincere and her eyes glistened with tears, droplets tracing down her face.

Stella looked up at her ex-best friend in complete numbness, but soon anger ignited inside her heart, fueling her. "Then why lie? If you felt so damn guilty about it, why lie?" She regained her composure after her outburst, merely standing up and taking the text book from Bloom's hands. "If sugar-coated words were forgiven easily, then the Magical Dimension would not be as peaceful as it is."

More tears had fallen from Bloom's eyes, before she had fled the room like the cruel words were chasing her. Stella watched the only girl who had become her friend, unknowing of her status, leave, with a single tear traveling down her own cheek.

* * *

The days passed in a blur and even through the pain that distinctively throbbed at her heart, Stella managed to pay attention and pass her classes with possibly higher grades than last week. The constant studying and paying attention distracted her from the pain that would randomly become too much, like grief. Bloom had seemingly backed off, but her eyes never lost the sheen of tears and she barely breathed in Stella's presence. Sighing to herself, Stella closed the door to their room, leaning against it.

She hated how aware she was of Bloom, the fact that she noticed Bloom's absence was like a small thorn that would cause blood to leak from her skin. Stella ran a tired hand through her messy, unkempt hair, tying it in a basic ponytail and walking to her room. Opening the door, it took a second for the information her eyes told he passed through every single one of her nerve endings.

Her side of the room remained the same as this morning, but Bloom's side was empty, the sheets of her bed white and cleaned like it was a hotel room. The papers taped to the wall gone along with the clothes that Bloom had. Drawers were pulled open and the contents emptied as if Bloom had rushed to pack, rushed to avoid Stella. The cloud of numbness that made her heart fuzzy disappeared and replaced with it was the sting of betrayal.

It hung in the air, burning at her lungs from the inside out. She fell to her knees in the doorway and didn't realize she was crying until her face was soaked with the streams. All of the grief she had pushed to the corners of her mind attacked her full force, making her feel small and incompetent. Stella didn't know how long she sat there, but at one point she had watched the purple-hued sky turn darker as the sun set and the moon rose.

She wiped the tears away, attempting at the composure and façade she wore when deep inside she was hurting. Stella forced her legs to stand, walking into the room and closing the door behind her, hearing the soft click of the lock sliding into place. She glanced in the mirror of her make-up table, seeing a girl with a limp ponytail hanging down her back, glazed over eyes, and blotchy skin stare back at her.

Stella's expression in the mirror was a lost girl, broken and shattered until composure was a word that held no true meaning. The tears continued to fall, taunting her with the information that she had broken. Cracked into a million pieces that had scattered around the room and would never be fully united again. Anger, white-hot and churning filled her veins, making her blood boil beneath the skin.

She walked to the mirror, grabbed her priceless and expensive hairbrush and threw it at the mirror, shattering the center of glass in a web. It wasn't enough, it didn't soothe her anger, rather making it shine like a blazing sun that didn't care who it injured. Stella gritted her teeth, throwing everything off the desk in one swoop and punching the glass with her fist until the blood from the cuts on her knuckles left prints on the glass.

A soft knocking echoed throughout the room, and Stella let her fist drop, the blood dripping down her knuckles and coloring her hand the red of a supernova. She wiped a hand down her face, as if she could scrub away the trails of tears. "Come in." Her voice was hoarse and she watched as a million reflections showed the door opening, Mirta standing in the doorway.

Mirta's face had shown uncertainty, hesitance to walk in as if Stella would snap on her. Stella felt sadness cover her heart, and not for Bloom's betrayal or her parent's games, but for the fact that her friend was hesitant to be around her. Whatever internal conflict that raged in Mirta's silver eyes, she took a step forward and wrapped Stella in an embrace. The embrace was unfamiliar and it reminded Stella of how long it had been since someone had hugged her, had calmed her.

"B-B-Bloom's g-g-gone." Her voice was shaking and for a minute she hated herself for showing weakness, for not putting herself back together at least for the sake of no one seeing her crash. A sob ripped out of her throat, "S-She left. She's not coming back! Why does it hurt so much? Why did she do this to me?" Stella clenched her fists, until her nails created crescent moons in her palms.

Mirta rocked her back and forth, and it was then that Stella had realized that they were on their knees. "I know. I know S." She ran her fingers through a strand of Stella's hair, pulling it out of the ponytail. "It's going to be ok. We're going to heal. I've got you." Mirta was the closest thing to a storybook mother that Stella had ever had, her own mother had only been around a handful of times. Even then, her mother never saw her cry.

Mirta's tears had fallen on her head and Stella returned the embrace, craving to have a motherly figure, have someone who could comfort her. She didn't know why she still wanted Bloom back, she wanted to see Bloom again, she wanted to laugh with Bloom again. She wanted a world where this was all a nightmare and her parents weren't divorce and her best friend hadn't lied to her. Where the man she cared about, cared about her as well and was willing to fight for her. "How are things with Bishop?" She blurted out, hiccupping.

Softly laughing, Mirta pulled back so that they were side by side. She wiped the tears from her eyes and Stella ran a hand through her hair, remembering that she had thrown her brush at the mirror. "They're good. He's been there for me through this all. He is a good guy." Mirta looked like she wanted to say more but Stella just wanted to hear about someone's life that wasn't breaking.

She wiggled her eyebrows, "Really? So, I don't get any details?" Stella playfully pouted, a hiccup in her throat but she loved being able to forget the ache, even if for just a minute.

A bright shade of pink colored Mirta's cheeks, as she ducked her head. "Well, we had a picnic by Lake Roccaluce, that was our first kiss and he gave me a charm bracelet." Mirta held up her wrist showing a simple but beautiful charm bracelet with empty spaces for new charms but an M, a video camera, and a shopping bag occupying three spaces. Stella smiled, happy for her friend.

They had found comfort in each other, when their best friends had hurt them deeply, they still could help each other through the pain. It wasn't a best friend type of friendship, but it was a friendship.

* * *

Going back to classes was harder the next Monday, walking in with the edge of a joke on her lips that quickly vanished when she noticed the vacant seat next to her. Some of the witches that had heard of Bloom's transfer tossed her sneers and haughty looks, while Lucy's gang watched it unfold with smirks stretching across their lips. Stella hated them all for it, cursing them in every language she could think of. But Mirta was a comfort, smiling at her in the corridors and talking with her during lunch.

"So how was your morning?" Mirta toyed with her food, a prominent look of disgust on her face as she surveyed the disgusting thing the chefs had _kindly_ prepared. Mirta had taken ten minutes longer than usual to get to lunch, probably washing a hex out of her hair if the wet strands were anything to go by.

Stella had opted to skip out on lunch, crossing her arms on the table, "Same old, same old." Dodging random hexes and curses alike, resisting the urge to punch someone in the face, and casting a hex on someone. "You know, we could get the culprit back for doing whatever they did to you." She gestured to the wet hair Mirta sported, sliding her gaze around the canteen, "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to."

Mirta sighed, shaking her head as she lifted a hand to comb through her hair, she eyed her hair for a bit longer before dropping her hand to her side. "Tempting but not today." She pushed her lunch tray away from her, lowering her voice slightly, "I've got a date with Bishop tonight." Mirta practically whispered, eyes scanning the cafeteria. Stella didn't blame her, if word circulated anymore about them, they would have to deal with more hexes than they already did.

Stella sighed, but a smile still tugged at the corner of her lips as she wiggled her eyebrows. "I expect a full summary tomorrow." Mirta returned a shyer smile of her own before their attention went to the senior section above them. The youngest of the trix sisters was cackling loudly, the shrill sound echoing around the canteen and silencing the chatter around them.

The older Trix sisters cast Stormy a dark look and she sat down, not at all bothered that she had caused every other conversation to drag to a standstill. Stella watched them momentarily, locking eyes with Icy, the girl's cold eyes haunted her and the smirk she sported made a sliver of fear creep into Stella's heart and remain. Quickly, she turned away from them, feeling the cold eyes remain on her and stab into her skin like shards of ice.

Mirta's smile had slipped off her features and she stirred the gooey food that sat in front of her, staring up at the trio behind Stella with a frown before shifting her gaze back to Stella. They shared identical looks of queasiness as conversation began to pick up, but by the furtive glances that was tossed at the senior tables, Stella figured that it was all circulated around the coven of sisters.

"What do you think that was about?" Mirta asked, ducking her head slightly as if she was trying to hide from view.

Stella bit her lip, trying to ease the food rolling around in her stomach, but managed to offer a half-smile with a shaking tilt of her lips. "I don't know, whatever it is, we should try not to worry too much." She cautioned, not wanting to get tangled up in the messy knot of the Trix sisters, they were the most promising of the school with magic that seemed to pour off them in waves with every blink.

She glanced behind her, even though Icy's gaze had strayed from her, she could still feel the prickling sensation that something was _wrong_. Stella slid her gaze around the group and when her gaze landed on Darcy, the witch of darkness merely smirked at her, her smile like the sweetness that captured you but the venom that would be the death of you.

* * *

Stella had always migrated in between the witching hour and the fairy hour, preferring to stick to the hours when it was from neither school and the café was deserted. For one, seeing her former peers made her want to punch someone. Another reason was that she wasn't as in with her class mates as she had been at Alfea, the title hanging over her like a flashy warning sign that most people adhered to. But something was different about today, because witching hour had started early.

Mirta had frowned when the witches started to trickle in an hour before their normal time and the staff that was fairies had glared at the witches because they had always managed to take the shift with their own kind. Stella would have laughed to their expense, had Flora not been working the shift, even she looked a little sick at the idea of dealing with witches, especially when the Trix had come in.

"What are they doing here?" Mirta finally asked after ten minutes of absolute silence, she had been stirring her latte with her straw anxiously as the witches sat down like it was the normal thing to do. For a minute, the witches didn't look so different from fairies, they chatted in groups and seemed to move as a unified front. The only thing that separated them was the darker clothing and piercings.

Stella shrugged, "I don't know. Something's off though." She shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable but tried to pretend that she was totally ok with this. That this was a totally normal scenario. That floated out the door as the last of the people arrived, chiseled jawline, red and blue shirt, ripped pants and worn out shoes. Dark violet eyes scanned the café with the precision of a hero and when they landed on Stella, they widened momentarily. The second they widened was so short, that Stella thought she might have been seeing things.

 _Riven_. He didn't look different from the last time she had seen him at the beginning of the semester, other than the obvious lack of Red Fountain gear. He continued to walk in, sitting down at a suspiciously empty table, it was a table for two people and directly by the window so that anyone could see him sitting there. His movements, though, were robotic, like a puppet being moved on a string.

Stella moved to get up, but Mirta grabbed her hand, forcing her to remain seated. When Stella shot her an inquiring look, Mirta shook her head and gestured for Stella to turn back around. Glancing over, Stella winced, he wasn't alone. Darcy was sitting across from him with a cruel smile lighting her features, but it might have appeared different to Riven, who didn't make a grab for the silverware.

"Don't bother trying to help him." Someone said by their table and Stella glanced over, it was a witch she hadn't interacted with much. A junior witch that was seated by some of her friends who also looked slightly uncomfortable but were more relaxed than Stella felt. The girl who spoke had dark purple hair, olive colored skin and amethyst-colored eyes, her eyes remained on Stella for a minute before darting back to the table at the front. "He's long gone."

She didn't want to understand what that meant, but she did anyways, and it was even more saddening to watch Darcy grab his hand, her eyes starting to glow. Stella winced, manipulation charms were extremely difficult to break and took a lot of magic unless it was undone by the person who cast the charm. Judging by the straightening of Riven's spine and the success in Darcy's face, this particular charm might take years to heal from.

"Poor guy." Mirta said sympathetically with a frown etched on her face. She slid her gaze over to the junior witch who had been sitting near them, but she and her coven had disappeared in between one breath and the next.

* * *

It was like her brain had recorded the scene, it kept replaying in her head every spare moment, Riven being ensnared in the beautiful trap that Darcy had laid out for him. Stella stared unflinchingly at the ceiling of her room, she hated the spare moments in between classes and homework and her only friend. Mirta was currently out with Bishop, on another lovely date and Stella wasn't angry that Mirta had Bishop. Mirta deserved all the happiness in the world, but she was wondering when would she start to feel happy again?

Stella sighed, toying with the idea of telling Riven's friends that he wasn't himself anymore. That he wasn't going to be himself for a long time. Mind control was a level of magic that was dangerous for both parties involved, too much could turn him into a wheel-chair confined nonsensical mess. The problem was, would they believe her? Would they believe that she had nothing to do with this in an act to get them back? Most likely. "Why can't anything ever be easy?" She muttered to herself.

Sitting up, she had a perfect view of Bloom's empty side of the room, another pang of hurt stabbed into her heart like a dagger. It hurt so much, not as white-hot and blinding as before but barely any less, she didn't want to throw anything across the room or punch her magically fixed mirror until her blood prints coated the entire surface of it. If anything, she just wanted to mourn, like going to a gravestone and bringing blue flowers in semblance to the color of mourning in Solaria.

Stella spied her phone, sitting on the charging port on her nightstand, and picked it up, running her hands over the buttons and pulling up her contacts. Biting her lip, she weighed her options, who in her contacts would even believe her? Or maybe no one in her contacts would believe, Brandon was not an option. Timmy, she toyed with the idea of talking to Timmy, but they weren't close, had never been close. Sky, he was too close to Bloom and him and Riven had never gotten along.

He wouldn't notice anything was wrong with Riven, would he?

She didn't have the number of any of Bloom's pixie friends, she didn't even know their names. Other than Flora. Stella stood up, Flora seemed like a sweet pixie, but would she believe Stella? Only one way to find out. Grabbing her messenger bag and shoving her phone into it, she pulled on her boots and a jacket. It was a little after three, so if Flora had work today, she would be there.

And Stella would catch her before she left.

* * *

The café was busy, flooded with pixies, former friends and other acquaintances that had heard about her. The pixie turned witch. Stella didn't duck her head, as much as she wanted to, and tried to keep her gaze level with the rest of the café. A hush had fallen over the girls scattered around the room with their steroid filled pompous boy-toys. "You're not welcome here _Stella_." Amaryl sneered, venom dripping from her voice.

Stella quirked an eyebrow. "I didn't realize that you dictated when I have lunch _Amaryl_." Stella mockingly stated, raising her voice an octave to mimic the fairy. She shoved past the fairy, who bumped her shoulder as if trying to hold her back. "You would do well to realize who kicked who's ass last year." Stella twirled her hair around on her finger, and Amaryl's face turned red from both anger and embarrassment at the reminder.

The snot-nosed fairy merely huffed and sat down while her friends tried to comfort her, shooting Stella glares, to which Stella rolled her eyes and took a seat on one of the empty tables. She knew she was probably breaking protocol by showing up so early but didn't particularly care if the pixies got upset over something so flimsy. "What can I get for you today Stella?" Flora walked over, notepad on her arm and warm smile shooing away all of the prejudice of witches.

"I'll have a coffee with three sugars and a piece of apple pie with whip cream. Thanks." Flora walked away. Stella bit her lip, grabbing a notepad from her bag and a pen, she began scribbling down a note for Flora. A shadow draped itself over Stella, and she lifted her eyes lazily, flipping the notepad closed. "Can't get enough of my presence, huh, Amaryl?" She lifted an eyebrow, smirking.

"Shut up." Amaryl glared, her posse behind her like the beams that supported a building. "You're not allowed to be here right now, so get out of here while you can, witch!"

Stella knew it would piss her off, and maybe she had developed a death wish over the past year, but she wasn't in that world anymore. "Is that a threat? I didn't realize that you could even pack a punch Ames." She drawled. She stood up, flexing her fingers, "I don't take kindly to being threatened by pixies. Now if you don't go the hell back to your table, there will be nothing to stop me from going after you."

Amaryl looked terrified, but she tried to appear strong like it would save her from the single moment she had looked fearful. Stella rolled her eyes, lifting a hand and began chanting some words underneath her breath, Amaryl and her posse were gone in moments, fleeing from the table with shrieks. Stella sat down and folded her arms idly, aware that she was receiving looks from nearby tables and the waiters and waitresses but none of them dared to come near her.

"Here's what you ordered." Flora appeared moments later, her eyes slightly shaky, and Stella immediately regretted letting her emotions cloud her endgame. She was here for a reason, Stella flipped her notepad open and continued drafting her note, glancing up every so often. When she left, she folded the note in between the money she had left and waited in the alleyway for Flora to read it and come out.

* * *

 _Flora,_

 _There's something I need to tell you about one of your friends, they're not themselves and they aren't going to be for a while. I'll explain more if you choose to meet me in the back alleyway after your shift is over. I'll be waiting._

 _-Stella._

* * *

Her back was starting to hurt and the cardboard boxes she was sitting on were starting to make her butt go numb. Stella groaned, adjusting her position on the boxes, she had been waiting for a little over forty minutes for Flora to appear and was mentally debating whether she should just leave since Flora didn't appear to be coming. As she was debating on leaving, the door leading to the café from the back alleyway opened and Flora was silhouetted against the light pouring in from the café.

"There you are. Do you realize how uncomfortable it was waiting back here?" Stella stood up, dusting her pants off. She attempted a half-smile, but it turned out to be more of a grimace.

Flora ducked her head, holding the notepaper in between her fingers. "Sorry, I had to wait for my shift to be over." She shrugged, tucking a piece of caramel hair behind one ear but when her eyes met Stella's, there was a confidence there that contrasted with the nervousness in her movement. "What did you want to talk to me about? Is it about, everything that happened a few weeks ago?" Flora winced.

Stella watched her for a minute, eyeing her movements. "I don't have a lot of time to warn you, and we're going to have to stay back here." If the followers of the Trix found out that she was telling them something that would get her injured. "Have you noticed anything wrong with Riven lately, a brand-new attitude or him not wanting to be around you guys lately?" By the way Flora's eyes got a slightly shiny sheen to them, Riven had done exactly that.

"Yes. How did you know?" Flora's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

Stella sighed, "A week ago, Mirta and I saw Riven come to the café with Darcy, she had grabbed his hand and cast a manipulation charm on him." Flora gasped, suddenly understanding the severity of the situation. "I didn't know who else to tell." Stella shrugged her shoulders, trying not to seem affected by Flora's slight breakdown. She didn't really know what to do, comforting people wasn't something she did normally. "I understand if you don't believe me, since everything, but I figured your group deserved to know."

Flora sighed. "I'm sorry, by the dragon, I'm so sorry. If I had known that Bloom was lying to you, I would have hung her upside down by a branch until she realized how badly that would explode in her face." She shook her head, as if organizing her thoughts. "Thank you for telling me, I understand that it might have been a difficult thing to do." Flora said strongly, and she gave Stella a hug.

It was the closest thing to a motherly embrace that Stella ever had, other than from Bloom's adoptive mother, but that memory came with Bloom. Stella sank into the embrace, hoping that Flora could help her and piece her back together like the way a mother wipes away their child's tears when something bad happens.

* * *

"I can't believe it's spring break." Mirta said, pulling her suitcase behind her, she was sporting a happy smile and Stella forced a smile of her own, she did not want to go home to a castle filled with two people yelling at each other. Especially since the divorce. "I miss my parents and older brother, it's been forever since I've seen them." She placed her bags by the door, and turned around, for a minute her gaze strayed to her bedroom door before she averted her gaze.

 _Lucy_. The name hung between them like a venom, and although Stella had never known her as a good person, Mirta had seen the nice person. "Have fun, see you at the end of spring break." Stella tried to change the atmosphere, her own suitcases were packed but inside her room since she had no need to take the levy train or a spaceship. Besides, she didn't want to wait for so long for something that is inevitable.

"You too." They shared a hug and then Mirta was gone. Stella felt her smile slip away, lost in the river that sped away, carrying the emotions further and further downstream. Stella shook her head, going back to her room and shutting the door quietly behind her with a soft click. She grabbed her bags and scooted them closer to the middle of the room, glancing around to see if she had forgotten anything. Even if she had, she could transport anything under the sun towards her.

She slipped her ring off, twirling it around in between her fingers before tossing it up. "Solaria." She whispered, catching it. Stella spared one last glance around the room that had become a separate home to her, before waving her scepter and picturing the luxurious atmosphere of Solaria, where she had been raised. She didn't want to go back there, to scream into her pillows, she wanted to stay. Stella felt herself and her bags fall through the portal and then felt the suns of Solaria shinning on her face, incredibly hot.

When she opened her eyes, she was in front of the Solarian castle.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry. So, so, so, so, super sorry. I didn't mean to take too long to update my stories. Thank you for those who stuck around for my however-long absence. And I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

Revenge of the Trix

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

Sunlight glinted off the gold and orange robes her father wore, the crown glowing on top of his reddish orange hair. King Radius was the epitome of sunlight with the harshness of sunlight temporarily blinding her. Stella didn't shield her eyes as she had when she was younger, but when she was younger, she could safely jump into her father's arms without prying eyes. Now the paparazzi reached their hands greedily through the gates, yelling questions and taking pictures.

Another separation between past and present was the lack of informality, now he greeted her like she was visiting royal and not his own daughter. Stella didn't wince, she knew better than to show any sign of emotion, not even when her father shot her a warm smile that was reserved for pleasing other kingdoms. "Father, it is good to see you after so long." She bowed her head.

"As it is good to see you my beloved daughter." King Radius returned formally, gesturing for guards to grab Stella's luggage. Although she felt a slight frown tug at her lips, she eased her expression into emotionless. He held his arm out for her, and she accepted, not once glancing back at the cameras and screaming questions as they walked into the palace. Stella tried not to flinch when the doors closed, and her father dropped the act. "Have you changed your mind?" He inquired, taking a seat on his thrown and she forced herself to remain where she was, curtseying.

Stella shook her head, eyes never leaving the floor. "No, I still plan on being a witch." She tried to sound strong but in the face of her clearly displeased father, the confidence abandoned her, and she was alone.

King Radius motioned for a servant to bring him a drink before regarding her coolly. "I see." Disappointment dripped from his voice. "Even though, one of your friends, what was her name? Blaine? Blake? Blossom?"

"Bloom." Stella gritted her teeth, wincing at the mention of her former friend, tears pricked at her eyes and she was reminded of how her father knew how to get under her skin to get what he wanted.

The servant returned with a gold goblet of red liquid, "Ah yes, Bloom, the earthen girl." He seemed to want to warn her on her choice for friends but seemed to decide against it, a mercy. "She has decided to become a fairy rather than a witch, if I recall correctly, you were going to be in a coven next year." Stella didn't want to know how he had found out, he always knew these things.

"Why are you doing this? Intentionally hurting me and for what, your own gain." She raised her eyes from the floor, blinking back the mist in her eyes and finally letting her amber eyes match with her father's amber eyes.

"I'm doing this for the betterment of Solaria-"

Stella let out a bitter laugh, "Of course you are, because that's what you do, isn't it? You were always a king before you were a father." She remarked, rising to her full height. "Dragon forbid I show any emotion because whatever I'm passionate about can never align with you, your majesty."

If it was possible, King Radius's eyes softened fractionally. "Stella-"

She held up a hand, "Don't." Inhaling shakily, she tried to still herself, to find her center of gravity. "Allow us to stick to the formalities, your majesty. I haven't been Stella to you for a long time and as of the moment, I don't believe that will ever change. I'd rather be beloved daughter." Stella forced herself to smile, forced herself into the perfect role of a princess that had been engraved into her since birth.

"I'm your father." King Radius finally said after a few minutes.

Stella smiled sadly, "You will always be King Radius first, your majesty, way before you will lower yourself to dad." She turned to the door, "I will be in my room, your majesty, and would like to have all of my meals sent to me today." If King Radius was hurt by the permanent formalities, she would never know, and she didn't really want to know. Stella didn't turn back to glance at her king as she left, not wanting him to catch the sheen of tears in her eyes.

 _Welcome home_ , she thought bitterly.

* * *

The day dragged on dully with a servant delivering her lunch silently before leaving like a whisper in a storm. Stella had forced herself to eat the beautifully cooked food, trying to find it in herself to enjoy it, but there was a bitter taste that never left her mouth. She had dragged up old sketchbooks and busied herself with some designs, flipping through old ones and adjusting their styles. While she had allowed for some of them to remain categorized underneath fairy, most had become a bit more witchy.

Stella tapped her pencil against her chin thoughtfully, glancing at the dress she was working on, she could add some lace, but she didn't want it to be too out there, she wanted modesty. A knock interrupted her thought process and she adjusted herself, closing the sketchbook and placing it on her table and standing to her feet. "Come in." The guards opened the door and Queen Luna floated in elegantly wearing a beautiful light blue dress, the representation of the moon.

The woman smiled regally, taking a seat down on one of the armchairs and folding her hands into her lap. "Hello, darling, I heard that you had already met with your father. Unfortunately, I couldn't greet you since I was in a meeting." The queen frowned, and Stella resisted the urge to remark that her mother had most likely purposefully scheduled the meeting so that she could ignore King Radius.

"Of course, your majesty." Stella bowed her head, sitting down in the armchair opposite Luna. The armchairs were expensively made, with fine fabric that cushioned Stella and called her to relax, or maybe that was the moonly magic her mother radiated.

Queen Luna's frown deepened, "I had thought that those formalities did not extend to me, we are family, after all." She wringed her hands, a first sign of this conversation not working in her favor or turning out as she hoped. Stella didn't want to know what her mother had expected; did she expect that Stella would forget that they had been trying to keep up with appearances since the arguments started?

"Oh." Stella quirked an eyebrow, "So, you aren't here to try and convince me to go back to being a pixie, your majesty." She watched her mother flinch at the name Stella had used for fairy.

The queen shook her head, "No sweetheart, I'm here to catch up with you, you didn't come home on the Day of the Rose and it has been so long since the school year started." Luna said, reaching out to run her hands along Stella's hand. Stella pulled herself away and watched her mother frown once more at the lack of encouragement.

"Funnily enough, I don't believe you. You always have a bigger purpose, you're trying to one-up King Radius, as you always do. Don't pretend that this is for my own benefit, because you haven't done anything for my benefit since you and dad started to fight, your majesty." Stella stood up, gesturing towards the door. "If that is all, I would like to be alone, your majesty. I'm sure you have another meeting to attend." She waved her hand dismissively and forced a strained smile.

Queen Luna seemed momentarily taken off-guard, her expression slipping for a perfect second before calmness settled across her features although her eyes seemed to hold a world of emotions. She shook her head, sighed, before standing to her feet, brushing the skirt of her dress off. "I know that you're trying to push me-us away, but I can promise you that I'm going to try to be the mother you have always deserved, Stella." The woman patted her hand cautiously before tugging her hand away.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, your majesty." Stella whispered tiredly as her mother left the room, causing Stella to sag against the armchair. She rubbed her temples, suddenly exhausted with everything that Solaria had to offer. Maybe, a year ago, she would have hoped that her mother would honor her promise, but she had been let down far too often to be so naïve.

* * *

"Your father requires your presence at dinner, your highness." The servant bowed her head, dropping into a short curtsy. Stella rolled her eyes, turning away and waiting for the flurry of servants to come in, of course her father would ignore her request of eating in her room. Of course, he would never listen to her, even when she was vulnerable. There were four servants that poured in, each wearing matching uniforms.

She allowed them to force her into the chair by her make-up desk, spraying her hair with rich-smelling perfumes of berries that smelled like sunshine, rich and almost tangible, and apply vanilla lotion to her skin. They dabbed powder on her skin, placed mascara on her, applied bright red lipstick to her lips and forced her into an elegant deep red dress with a v-cut that barely showed cleavage. Stella watched the flurry of excitement silently, they whispered to each other when they thought she wouldn't listen, deciding colors and hair styles. Eventually, they chose a tight and long braid to hang straight down her back with red roses popping out of hidden places.

"You're ready for dinner, your highness." The maids bowed, lowering their eyes to the floor and Stella would have winced, had she not been used to the royal treatment for years.

She stood to her feet, sliding her feet into the red pumps that one maid had left by the make-up table. "Thank you, ladies." She bowed her head in a sign of respect. The maids nodded in union once more, before they exited the room. Stella could almost close her eyes and remember the first time she had been royally prepped for dinner by people other than her mother, she had been smiling cheerily and exchanging comments with the maids. It had been a time before she could hear the yelled insults and slurred words.

She blinked away the memories, smoothing the fabric of her skirt over with her hands as if she could smooth away the jagged edges of her memories. A knock announced another arrival a few minutes later, "Come in." A guard entered the room, bowing his head and clapping a hand over his chest plate. Stella just sighed, sliding one last glance at her reflection before following the guard to the dining hall.

The guard said nothing as he led the way and she could hear the silent footsteps of the following guards, a safety precaution. Stella had been used to the treatment, being a princess, primed to perfection since birth, but it was odd in comparison to the silence. At least in Cloud Tower, people spoke to her, even if it wasn't in kindness. She straightened her spine as they approached the dining hall door with its sun and moon details engraved into the stained white glass.

It reminded her of her father and mother, the sun and the moon, day and night, light and dark.

The guards by the door opened it, and she was forced with a flood of memories of times in the room. It had a long light oak table that outlined white stained glass and gold-colored chairs with white seat cushions, blue and gold flags draped on the back of each chair. Her father's chair was fancier though, larger in size with hints of orange, yellow, blue, and purple marking his chair in swirling designs.

King Radius was seated in his chair, gold crown gleaming on his red-orange hair and sunlit eyes glowing in the afternoon light pouring in through the ceiling windows. He nodded at the guards, who shut the door after Stella, leaving her alone with her father and mother. Her mother was seated on the opposite side of the table, her chair was different than the rest with silver coloring and white seat cushions but the same designs as the king's chair. "Ah, Stella, please take a seat." He gestured with his wine glass, a smile in his eyes.

Stella was instantly suspicious of him, he was acting far too nice, far too fatherly than usual. She had never gotten through to him before, why would now be any different? She narrowed her eyes, sitting down in the center of the table, not close to her mother but not close to her father either. In the middle. Stella watched as her father's smile slipped away momentarily replaced with unease. "What is with the informality, your majesty?" Stella inquired as the maids and butlers began setting the food down.

It was enough to feed the entire Solarian army. "We have found a very nice young prince that would be seemly as a member of the royal court as your fiancé." Her father stated, the force of those words slapped Stella across the face and she feel her heart falling to pieces inside her chest. "His name is Prince Jacin of Artemisia." King Radius announced, folding his hands as a maid pushed the plate away from him and placed a long scroll in front of him. It glimmered gold under the lights.

"I refuse." Stella simply stated.

Her father's temper flared, blazing and as brilliant as all three of the suns of Solaria. "You will wed the prince. His planet has much gold and an alliance between our two planets would be prosperous." King Radius bellowed. "You don't have a choice, as the crown princess of Solaria, it is your duty to do what is best for Solaria."

Stella stood up, meeting her father's eyes. "What is best for Solaria, your majesty? A loveless marriage? Please, haven't you already done that enough and what has that resulted in? Rebels that hate us. Do you think that this marriage will stop that? I doubt it, because these rebels may die out but their children will rise once more. So, tell me King Radius, do you really think that an arranged marriage will save Solaria? All you do is condemn a cycle that will never end." She pushed her meal away.

"What do you suggest I do?" King Radius yelled, standing to his feet, the crown glinting on his head, power radiating off him with every breath and every movement.

She was terrified, but she wouldn't back down, she couldn't back down. "I suggest that we appease the rebels by listening to their demands firstly and giving a few members a standing in court." Stella answered.

King Radius slammed his hand down on the table, rattling the glasses and causing the gravy to spill over, spilling onto the white-stained glass. A maid hurried to clean it up, fear in her brow. "I will look weak!" He yelled. "You will marry the prince, you are a princess Stella, it's time you act your age."

"Weakness! Your pride will damn Solaria! Fine, as you so constantly like to remind me, I will renounce my throne." Her mother gasped, her bright blue eyes widening as she held her handkerchief to her mouth. "Tell me King Radius. Did your pride stop your relationship with me from crumbling? Did your pride make you a good father?" Stella asked, pushing her chair in and taking the crown off her head, in a snap of her fingers the royal dress had disappeared back to the closet and she was wearing her regular clothes.

"Stella, darling, don't do this, reconsider for the sake of Solaria." Queen Luna stood up, her face was shaken and the perfectly regal mask she had perfected was crumbling. Stella almost pitied her, but changed her mind, her mother may have been around when she was younger but when she reached ten. Both of them had left, a ten-year-old, left to nannies and tutors because her parents had time and time again chosen their kingdom over her.

Stella rubbed her hands over her black ripped skinny jeans, her hands were shaking despite her efforts to be steady and firm. "Solaria does not want a witch to be Queen. Besides, can't you have another child, King Radius, oh wait, you can't because you have already divorced Queen Luna. Unless you remarry and have another child, which I'm sure you can do. See if that child wants to have her parents chose their planet over them." She laughed bitterly. "Because I'm done, you have proven in the span of twenty-four hours that you don't give a shit about my happiness or even me for that matter."

With a sharp glare towards both her parents, Stella flipped her hair, dropping the ring of Solaria on the table with a loud cling, and walked out of the room. She could hear her father yelling and her mother screaming and the last thing she expected, sobbing. Stella hurried to her room, grabbing her suitcases and packing her bags, she grabbed her multiple cards, planning on taking as much money out of the bank as possible. She wasn't an idiot, she knew that her parents would cut her off the minute she left the planet.

They probably thought that would make her come back.

Stella wanted to laugh at that, she wasn't coming back nor apologizing anytime soon.

* * *

Covering her face with her hood, Stella slid onto the busy streets of downtown Solaria, the sun burned into her black hoodie and she felt like a shadow moving through the crowd. She could feel the gazes burning into her back, _tourist_ , some whispered, _witch_ , other's spat like she was a disease. Rolling her eyes, she walked into the bank, it was empty and the people behind the desk wore bright, cheery smiles that radiated light. "How can I help you?" One chirped, light brown hair, sun-kissed skin and orange eyes.

"I'd like to withdraw as many gems as possible from these cards and switch them over to a new account." Stella placed the cards on the table. The woman, Charlie her gold name tag read, didn't say anything grabbing the cards and typing a few things into her tablet. Impatiently, Stella drummed her nails against the counter, she had no doubt that her father had sent guards out, looking for her, but she would be gone by the time they found her.

Practicing transportation without her ring had paid off, not that she had planned on renouncing her throne. In all honesty, she was running on adrenaline, her mind felt exhausted and numb from the fact that her father had tried to coerce her into an arranged marriage. Her mother had supported him, sealing the fate of their relationships. A few minutes later, the woman glanced up at her, she could tell she understood what was happening, despite not recognizing Stella upon entrance. "Under what name."

Her full name was the original title, Princess Stella Renee Summers-Night of Solaria, but her new name wasn't going to be that anymore, she wasn't going to switch her identity. She was still Stella, but not the princess anymore. "Stella Renee of Magix. Residence: Cloud Tower. Dorm 18E." Stella finally said, watching as the woman nodded before she glanced over her shoulder, the guards hadn't reached this sector yet, but she knew they weren't too far behind her.

"Here you are Stella Renee." The woman handed her a new card that she pulled from her drawer. "Will that be all, for today?" Stella underestimated how easy it was to switch accounts, she had been counting on a chase. The guards throwing open the doors and her disappearing as fast as she could, but there were no guards outside the building and she almost didn't feel ready to leave. Nodding her head, she slid the card into her bag, and slipped away, lifting her hand in a wave before she left.

Stella looked both ways, tugging the hood further over her face, trying to hide her appearance, she would be recognized immediately for her appearance and she didn't want to leave anything to chance. Slipping into an alley, she thought of Cloud Tower, swirling purple towers, ominous clouds, and pink tinted windows. Conjuring a swirling orange portal, she stepped in, only glancing back once.

* * *

"You do realize it is not the end of spring break." Headmistress Griffon quirked a dark eyebrow, Stella resisted the urge to shiver, she had tried to remain under the radar of the woman since she transferred. Now, she was seated across from Griffon, trying to keep her face calm and herself steady. "What is the meaning of this early return, _Princess_ Stella of Solaria?" Griffon drummed her long nails on the desk, her eyes never leaving Stella's, even as she spat the title venomously.

Stella straightened her spine. "I figured I'd beat his majesty here, I have decided to renounce the throne and I figured that you should be the first to know." She scowled, but immediately thinned her lips into a straight line. In her adrenaline high, she had forgotten that her father paid for her to attend Cloud Tower and he could easily take that away. "I understand that should King Radius withdraw paying for me to attend, that I will no longer be allowed to attend."

Griffon rubbed her chin with her hand, thoughtful. "On one hand, most students would be pleased to know that the former pixie has been kicked out to nothing on the streets. But I have no benefit of having another street rat in Magix, so you will continue to attend." Griffon simply said, unlocking a drawer and pulling it open, she skimmed the files before pulling one out and placing it on the table. The headmistress slid the purple colored folder over to her, and Stella flipped it open.

It was a payment plan. Stella straightened her spine, "Thank you Headmistress Griffon." She slid the card from her pocket, even if it was close to all the gems she had on the card, she knew that it had to be done.

Griffon waved a hand dismissively. "Do not think I am doing this out of the kindness of my heart, but I see a benefit of allowing you to continue to attend." Her eyes flashed with a purple light that showed just how powerful she was. "Should you and your father every make up, it will be a benefit to witches to have a political ally so that not everything is blamed on us." Griffon scowled momentarily before her lips thinned into a straight line and Stella understood why she was letting her stay. "Good day Stella Renee."

Stella nodded her head, understanding, slinging her bag over her shoulder and taking her card back. "Good day Mrs. Griffon." She turned on her heel and exited, pulling her map from her pocket the moment she left and finding her way back to her dorm.

* * *

The remainder of the two weeks drained everything out of Stella, her father had made a public announcement of disowning her two days in. As a result, the public would not leave her alone, everyone had formed an opinion on the matter and everyone thought she had all the answers towards the fate of Solaria. She had spent a good bit of time, trying to find a job that would not expose her to the public. Eventually, she found a weekend job working at a witch library.

It was low paying and a lot of work to shelve countless books and carry boxes from front to back, but Stella hadn't expected it to be easy. Wiping a palm over her forehead, she glanced at the spine of the book before shelving it, inching the other books on the shelf away to make room. Her shifts always drained the day away, sometimes they were fast, and she could barely remember how many new books she had shelved or how many customers she had sold books to, along with the rare potion or tonic or even scroll. Other days, she remembered every detail, the number of costumers that had entered and how much time each person had spent in the library.

The bell over the door chimed as a new group walked in, Stella felt her back stiffen when she heard the voices, placing another book roughly on the shelf, she peeked through them and towards the entryway. They still had two days before school started back up again, but yet, here they were, standing in a witch library of all places. Bloom's new group of friends but the redhead wasn't here, she probably hadn't arrived yet or couldn't be bothered with a trip to witch territory, and Riven wasn't with them.

"Welcome to Witch's Brews and Tonics, how may I help you today?" The man behind the counter's voice croaked and Stella could hear the sleep and exhaustion lingering in his voice. It startled her out of her daze, and she began to rearrange the books on the shelves again, going to the box, before finding it empty. _Great, just my luck_ , she thought, dragging a hand down her face.

Stella bit her lip, balancing the box against her hip and standing up, she inhaled and exhaled before she walked to the back, which of course caused her to walk directly in their line of sight. "I'll be right back, guys." She could hear Flora say, catching a flash of golden hair in between the books. Flora followed her into the back, ignoring the looks given to her by the clerk, but he said nothing. Stella began filling the box with books, "Hey Stella, how are you doing?"

Stella glanced up at Flora, "How am I doing. Oh, I don't know, great. Happy even, with people constantly asking about what happened and why it happened." She let out a sarcastic laugh and averted her gaze from Flora's sympathy filled gaze. "Look, I don't even know why you're here, but can you please go. I don't need or want the sympathy." Stella finally glanced up at Flora, having filled the box.

She stood up, balancing the weight against her hip and attempting to walk past Flora. "You warned me about Riven, and I figured I'd be here for you." Flora said, her voice a whisper. "I can't understand how you feel right now Stella, being disowned by your father, but I do want to be there for you and help you." Flora remained in front of the door way, unwavering in her cemented decision to support her. Stella almost felt touched.

"He didn't disown me." Stella finally said, she knew how the media had spun it, that her father had grown tired to her witchy antics and threw her out. "I renounced the throne after he decided to arrange a match between me and a random prince." Flora looked momentarily stunned, like she couldn't believe that King Radius would confine his seventeen-year-old daughter to a loveless marriage.

Flora ran a hand through her hair. "I'm so sorry, Stella." She flashed an irritatingly sympathetic smile that gritted on Stella's nerves. But she held her tongue, Flora wasn't being fake like some other people, she wouldn't be saying it if she hadn't meant it. "I'm here if you ever need me." She slipped a piece of paper in between Stella's fingers before walking out of the room.

Stella unfolded the flimsy piece of paper shakily, reading the digits for a few minutes before she folded it back up and shoved it into her pocket. By the time she had left, Flora and the rest of her friends had already left and Stella forced herself to go back to work, feeling the paper burn a hole in her pocket.

* * *

"Should I?" Stella wondered aloud, she hadn't been able to focus on her books and had two hours before she had to be at the library for her shift. The paper was in front of her, sitting daintily on her desk and fluttering at the slightest gust of wind. Swirly black digits taunted at her and she began playing with the ends of her hair, twirling a strand in between her fingers. She toyed with the idea of calling Flora, taking her up on the offer to talk to someone. Stella knew she had Mirta, but she didn't want to worry her.

Besides Mirta was currently with her family and wasn't really allowed time on her phone from what she had told Stella prior to leaving. Stella also knew that if Mirta knew what she was going through, that it would ruin the rest of her break. A part of her selfishly wanted Mirta to be there for her, but she knew that it was wrong, because Mirta deserved a break too. Mirta had suffered through the betrayal of a childhood friend and then a new friend, she needed time to relax.

Which was why Stella had immediately ruled out the idea of calling her or texting her. She leaned back, exhaling, if she called Flora, would it help? Would it ease her mind? Or would it just make things worse? Flora seemed like a sweet person, but how much of her could Stella trust. What if she sold Stella out for the media and they got ahold of a former fairy interacting with a fairy? She groaned, running a hand down her face as multiple scenarios popped up into her head.

Finally, she decided that the benefits outweighed the risks and unlocked her phone and entered the digits into her phone. Stella hesitated for a minute, before she held the phone up to her ear and heard the dial tone echo back at her. A sign of her decision, she inhaled and exhaled trying to ease the tension creeping up her spine. "Hello?" Someone picked up the phone after a few minutes.

Stella rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Um hey, is this Flora?"

"Yes." Amusement colored Flora's tone. "Hey Stella, I was wondering if you were going to call."

Stella didn't immediately have a retort and bit her lip, toying with the ends of her hair nervously. "Is this a bad time. I could call some other time or something if it is." She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing her bangs back from her forehead.

Flora laughed. "No, it's not a bad time, Stella." Her voice sounded encouraging and soothing. "I know that you were probably wondering if I would sell you out." There was a little sadness lilting her tone, "And I know it might not mean much to you if I swear on Lynphea that I won't betray your trust."

Stella exhaled, "Yeah, it actually means a lot." There was silence as they both gathered their thoughts and Stella grew frustrated with her bangs and grabbed a hairband to push them back.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"No." The word was out of Stella's mouth before she could think about it. "I mean yes, but I don't know. There's not much to explain, I grabbed my money after my father decided once again that the kingdom was more important than me and ran back home not even a day into vacation. That's all, end of story." It finally settled on Stella that everything had really happened, she had been shoving it away for a while and it made her heart ache to even think about it.

She felt like a little girl again, crying for parents that ignored her.

It _hurt_ , like a million needles pushing into her heart and being dug deeper, she gritted her teeth together to stop the sob that almost tore out of her throat.

Flora sighed, "That's not all, Stella." She was silent for a minute, "Tell me about your relationship with your parents." It felt like Stella was talking to a _damn shrink_.

"Fine, you want all the gory details." Stella bitterly remarked, glaring at the wall across from her. "My parents have always cared about the throne more than me. I _never_ came first to them! It was always about appearances and what would bode well with the rebels that want us off the throne! They thought marrying me off to a rich guy might be more helpful, all it would cause is for them to be more upset and cause harm to innocent lives." Stella scoffed as she remembered her father's reasons.

Flora was silent, and Stella raged on, talking in details about how her father and mother both used her as their own pawns. How they tried to deceive her when she came back so that she would lean more towards one then the other. Flora said nothing, letting Stella go on and on in the way she needed.

"I just want them to love me, for me." Stella finally died down and felt tears start to fall, dripping down her face. A glance at the clock told her she had spent more than half an hour raging about how her parents had treated her, even before she had left Solaria for Cloud Tower and when she was at Alfea. "Is that so much to ask for? For my _parents_ to actually love me and not use me as a political play. Am I that hard to love?" She wiped at her face, already knowing she would have to redo her make-up once this was over.

"Not at all, Stella." Flora immediately said. "People do care about you. Mirta cares about you. I care about you. Bloom cares about you. And even the guys care about you, especially Brandon. I know you don't want to be reminded of them, but we all care about you Stella. You're a light spirit, no matter whether you choose to be a fairy or a witch. Whether you beautiful or ugly. Because you have a heart full of light." Stella almost smiled, it was all the words she had been searching for, hoping for someone to tell her that she deserved love.

She cracked a smile. "You know, you could get into the business of being a shrink, shrink." She heard Flora laugh on her end of the phone.

"Shrinks only have to deal with troublesome patients, trouble." Flora retorted.

"Did you just call me trouble?"

"Of course, I did, it's going to be your new nickname, trouble."

Stella laughed, "Ok shrink." She slid her gaze over to her clock, "I've got another shift at the library in an hour, want to meet up in Magix? Unless your shrinkly duties are not done yet." She teased.

She didn't have to be there to know that Flora rolled her eyes, "I'm always a shrink when it comes to you, trouble." She said. "And yeah, I'll meet you there, in front of the library or café?"

"Library, wouldn't want to be seen with a shrink. The scandal."

"Whatever you say trouble."

* * *

Stirring the mush that the cafeteria lady had dumped on her tray, Stella eyed the brown fluffy contents of the tray as it moved from side to side with the movement of the table. "Hey Stell." Mirta announced her presence, sitting down with her own tray of mush, she was smiling slightly, a slight flush dusting across her freckles. Barely noticeable in the dim lighting of the canteen, but Stella could still detect it along with the phone gripped tightly in her hand.

"Hey Mirta." Stella quirked an eyebrow. "So, what's got you so chipper? And don't tell me it's school, because no one can be happy about school." She jabbed the end of her spoon at Mirta before sticking it back into the mush, disgusted when a small portion of it made a plopping sound on the table.

Briefly, Mirta eyed the mush disgustedly before shaking her head, her smile widening into practically a beam. "It's just you-know-who, he's sending me these cute, little memes." She said quietly, dropping her voice down in case of anyone was eavesdropping.

Forcing down the small twinge of envy, Stella smiled, happy for her friend. "That's great, so do you have a date tonight? It seems like you've been having a date night every week." Stella inquired, shoving her tray back and crossing her arms, resting her forearms on the table. She wasn't jealous, she was happy Mirta had managed to find someone as good as Bishop that made her extremely happy. But she briefly wished that she still had that connection, no matter how small.

Mirta shook her head, "No. We could have a movie night, though. I'll bring the popcorn." She offered, smiling.

Stella opened her mouth, about to answer that she wanted to have a girl's night, but she was cut off by a loud voice from above them. Glancing up, her eyes zeroed in on the Trix sisters, who were loudly chatting about their plans. _How do they never get in trouble_ , she wondered, eyeing them nervously, _I thought witches were supposed to be sly_. Rather than slyly and discreetly talking about their plans, they seemed content with loudly stating what they planned to do.

Stella slid her gaze around the room, half-expecting a teacher to scold them, but no authorities stood up, turning a blind eye to the Trix. Twisting around in her seat, she understood that, the Trix emitted power, evil and menacing with years of ancient power thrumming off them in waves. Forcing herself not to shiver, she continued to stare at them, she would never admit it to anyone, but they terrified her. The sheer force of their power encouraged her to turn away and go back to what she was doing but she ignored the instinct.

"Let's just blast her!" The youngest of the Trix said, her eyes flashing with irritation and her hands curled into fists on each side of her tray. Stella turned away, but continued to listen to their rather loud conversation. "We can't stop now." Stormy's voice echoed loudly.

"We're not stopping Stormy, we're being careful." Icy's voice carried over, as cold as ever and in her peripheral, she saw the oldest Trix take a sip from her milkshake, her silver hair curling around her carved from ice features. Stella furrowed her eyebrows confused, wondering what exactly they were doing, and a bad feeling crept up her spine. Her instincts told her that she knew exactly who they were talking about and she itched to talk to Flora, but forced her hand to remain still.

Flora was somewhat her friend, and she didn't want anything bad to happen to her, even the if any of the witches knew that they would force her to become even more of an outcast than she already was. "Agreed." Darcy's voice slithered over her, like a snake lulling its prey closer and closer. "Bloom is the most powerful fairy in the Magic Dimension, we have to be careful with this situation, Stormy." Annoyance tinged her voice.

"But, she is untrained-"

Stormy's reply was cut short and Stella twisted in her seat, grateful that they weren't looking in her direction, they were looking at each other, each sisters' eyes shinning with ancient power. "I know, sisters, but we need to proceed carefully. Bloom almost knocked us on our asses last time." Icy snarled Bloom's name with venom dripping from her voice. "We can't just destroy her, _that_ would be wasteful."

Mirta suddenly stood up behind her, her palms on the table and her stony eyes trained on the trio. "Why are you always plotting against Bloom? What did she even do to you?" Her voice rung around the cafeteria loudly and the conversation silenced. Stella glanced back, inching around the table and standing up next to Mirta, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Icy stared them down, her eyes cold and desolate, the promise of eternal ice. "Are you actually speaking to me?" She leaned on her hand haughtily, staring down at them and Mirta turned to look at Stella as small chuckles erupted and the Trix shared identical smirks.

Stella rolled her eyes, "No one else is loudly talking about their plans about pixies." She countered and the chuckles quietened almost immediately and tension filled the air. Stella smirked, "I mean, you're not even that sly about it, you just talk about it so that _everyone_ in the damn cafeteria knows what you're doing." Small mutters spread around the canteen before they silenced when Icy glared at every single person in the room, before her gaze locked on Stella and Mirta.

Stormy stood up as well, her smirk in place though her eyes danced with electricity. "Oh, do we have some pixie lovers in our midst?"

Stella shrugged, "Says the witch that can't go a single day without talking about Bloom, for all of your obsessing, one would think you're in love with her." Stormy's smirk fell off her face and she glowered.

"I just think that we should all learn to get along." Mirta muttered, loud enough that everyone heard and her stone-colored eyes averted from the Trix. Silence engulfed the entire canteen after Mirta spoke, before small chuckles and laughter filled each corner and Mirta's eyes dropped to the floor. Stella rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, but Mirta only shrugged her off. Stella frowned, glancing over her best friend, but Mirta wouldn't look at her and her heart dropped to her stomach.

"Oh, how sweet." Stormy cooed, her voice mocking. "Pixie-lovers." Laughter followed her statement as each witch burst out laughing, chasing Mirta out of the room. Stella watched her leave, the doors slamming shut behind her. When Stella turned her gaze back to the Trix, Stormy and Darcy were laughing, but Icy was staring at her, her frozen eyes threatening and dangerous, but Stella forced herself to roll her eyes and turn to follow Mirta.

She couldn't find Mirta anywhere.

* * *

Scribbling down a final answer to her homework assignment, Stella flipped the irritatingly large book closed, and collapsed back onto her bed. For a minute she opened her mouth to make a comment about the workload and the boring stuff, but the words dissipated at the tip of her tongue as she took in the empty side of the room. Running a hand through her hair and tying it back into a loose ponytail, Stella bit her lip, feeling the coppery taste of blood sweep across the inside of her mouth.

She debated calling Flora, before remembering that Flora had said she was doing a group study with her pixie friends-not what Flora actually said, but that was how Stella took it-and would probably not answer. Mirta was nowhere to be found, she hadn't answered any of Stella's text messages and she hadn't seen her since lunch. Mirta hadn't been in the remaining classes they had together and the other witches kept making snide comments about another one of her friends going pixie again.

They had all remarked that she must be cursed with turning her friend to pixies and that she should just go back to being a pixie. Stella had bit her lip and ignored their remarks, not that it had helped, they just grew louder and louder until she hexed one of their mouth's shut. She bitterly smiled to herself, the witch had it coming, she had been following Stella all afternoon, leering like a drunkard.

She could understand why Mirta hadn't shown up? Hell, she wished she hadn't.

Grabbing her phone from her night stand, she flicked through the messages, before dialing Mirta's number again and putting the phone to her ear as it rung. The dial tone echoed in her ear drums several times, before it went to voicemail and Stella hung up. Glaring at nothing in particular, she chucked the phone across the room, watching it bounce up and down on the empty bed across the room.

Stella stood up, crossing the hallway that separated her room from Mirta's and peeked in through the door, the room wasn't empty. Both of their things were scattered around the room and a broken picture of them both had been pushed off the wall. Glancing behind her, she slid into the room and picked up the broken picture frame, it was shattered down the middle, separating the two smiling girls. Mirta's smile was genuine but Lucy's smile was more like a smirk although she did look like she cared about Mirta.

At least partially.

Placing the picture on Mirta's nightstand, she slid her gaze around the rest of the room, there was no sign of Mirta being in there and Stella frowned to herself, before leaving. She quietly closed the door behind her and went into the common room, Mirta wasn't there either, and the bad feeling settling in her gut only got worse. Crossing to the pink-purple windows she rested her head against the glass, the pelting of the rain soothing her forming headache.

 _Where are you Mirta?_

* * *

 **I'm so sorry guys, I really am, but I did an extra long chapter to sort of make-up for it. I just, I keep loosing inspiration and then finding, and then loosing it again. It's a super annoying process and I wish that I had a better excuse than the loss of inspiration, but I don't. I'm really sorry though, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

Revenge of the Trix

* * *

Chapter 6

* * *

Wind pushed against her face, causing her to blink blearily as she climbed the steps to the tower, the high-winds were brutal the higher she climbed. The oxygen sucked in through her nose barely sated the ever-growing pain in her lungs at the overexertion of climbing. Mirta knew it would be frigid up on the tower, but she hadn't predicted for how her breath would leave her in little puffs, or that she desperately wished she had a coat to cover her pale arms. She had only thought of the highest magic point for her type of magic and began the long climb up the steps.

Maybe it was stupid and foolish, but she couldn't handle the insults of the trio anymore or the cackles directed at her.

Gritting her teeth, she climbed the last step and collapsed to her knees in exhaustion, covering her face with her hands to try and not freeze her teeth over. Mirta glanced around herself, the wind whipped around her, swirling like magic and she forced herself to move towards the center of the tower. The view she was their side of the forest with dark trees stretching into the sky with claw-shaped branches. Even if the view was breathtaking in its own way, it wasn't what she wanted to see.

Gripping her fist tightly, she remembered the conversation she had with Lucy before the start of the school year. Lucy had spat so many words at her, words that made tears swell in her eyes and spill down her cheeks. " _All of my friends were laughing at you. It's just so embarrassing._ " Lucy had said after she had introduced Mirta to her new group of friends, " _I like the Trix. I want to be just like them. And not like_ you."

Mirta shook her head, feeling the cold creep up her spine as she stared as hard as she could at the view, biting back tears. Bloom's betrayal still hurt her, the fact that she had trusted so much and gotten so little _hurt_ , by the dragon it hurt. Even through that, she couldn't let something happen to Bloom, she had a feeling that Stella agreed with the sentiment too, because she had tried to defend both Mirta and Bloom. In her own way.

Maybe she should have waited for Stella, but she was already here and the magic was already swirling around her, grazing her fingertips.

"Those terrible Trix, they're making Lucy just like them. I've got to do something." Mirta said, Lucy used to be so nice, so caring, but that was before Bloom and Stella had came into their lives along with the Trix. The trix had ruined her first friendship, but she wouldn't just bow her head and not fight for it. Her magic started to flow through her veins, warming her body slightly.

She didn't use fire magic or light magic that would have immediately made her body feel warm and never had felt cold, but she could still rely on it as a source of heat. Mirta felt the magic in the air sizzle, the school had been built on many ley lines and when she was on this balcony, she could feel two of those lines almost like they were right beneath her feet. Light flared at her fingertips, spreading warmth through the veins in her arms, concentrating it towards her hand.

"Lucy and I had been friends forever." She whispered the words to herself, "Bloom and Stella have helped me in so many ways, helped me grow, helped me become strong when I felt weak. I'm not going to sit idly by and let the Trix ruin everything. I've got powers too." Mirta lifted her hands to the sky, glancing up and watching the magic dance around her hands, powered by the ancient magic thrumming through the school.

She frowned, the ley lines almost felt, strange, not like they had felt at the beginning of the year. They felt tainted and she almost wanted to throw up at the bitter aftertaste that filled her mouth. Forcing the feelings down, she focused on the incantation that she had memorized, hours pouring over the textbooks and perfecting the spell in the silence of the library on late Friday and Saturday nights.

"Sirya baqcon desperato, volant imera demai." She yelled the incantation, for a minute nothing happened. Then her magic jumped and directed towards something in front of her, creating a purple looking glass. The trix took up the entire screen, their faces haunting and chilling, filled with evil and ruthless mirth. Mirta forced her hands to stay upright, stretching to the sky and powering the image.

It was a difficult task, hiding the spell from the members of the Trix, powerful people that might have been able to sense it if she hadn't been specialized in this type of thing. Icy was grinning viciously, her eyes not looking at Mirta directly, but trained on something that she couldn't see. "Sisters, I have got a plan." Darcy and Stormy looked at her with interest, wide smirks spreading across their faces as the idea was given to them. "We're going to trick Bloom, we'll make her think she's a descendant of the evil ancestral witches and therefore with evil thrumming through her veins. Then, when she's all alone crying, we'll rip the power right out of her."

Mirta gasped, loosing control of her magic, causing the window to zip closed, and lowered her hands, tiredly, to her side. Fatigue made her close her eyes and struggle to keep herself upright, but she tried to remain standing even if the cold froze her arms and legs. The wind pushing against her face woke her up. Narrowing her eyes in thought, she hesitated, Bloom may have done the wrong thing, but she didn't deserve what the Trix had planned. "I have to find Bloom. I have to warn her, the Trix have turned the entire school against me. I'll repay them in kind, by exposing them for the liars they are."

Mirta finally collapsed to her knees, her breath leaving her in pants. The magic of the ley line left her feeling violently sick, like venom had been injected into her veins and her magic was turning against her. She shivered violently, she needed to get to Stella, to ask for her help, because even though they had been betrayed, they couldn't just let someone get hurt. They were witches, not monsters. Forcing herself to stand, she turned back to the way she had come, the magic of the ley lines would help her, but she didn't know how much she trusted them anymore.

Sighing to herself, she began the long, even-more-tiring walk down the stairs.

* * *

Stella felt like punching something, anything, she might even punch Lucy, if the witch showed up to their room tonight, even if Lucy had, for the most part, left her alone. She was worried, Mirta hadn't answered her messages and calls and another glance around found Mirta's phone on her desk, laying face down with a large crack in the screen. She paced back and forth around the dorm, her nails digging red crescent-moon shaped marks into her palms. Pacing would have normally made her tired, but she was too focused on her damned emotions to focus on anything else.

First. Mirta hadn't shown up to her classes. Second. Mirta had left her broken phone on the table, a new crack on the screen making Stella immediately jump to conclusions. Third. It was close to midnight and Mirta still wasn't here. Glaring at nothing in particular, she dragged a hand down her face, before plopping down on the couch.

Her legs throbbed from all of the walking, but she ignored the slight pain of overexertion and toyed with a strand of hair. Stella tried to come up with a logical reason that Mirta would do any of those things, that didn't involve kidnap, even though the scene in Mirta's room sure as hell hinted at it. Then again, she was never one to rely on logics, her emotions had always been her main source of making decisions. Sure, those decisions sometimes came back to bite her in the ass, but she couldn't think of anything logical that wasn't soon to-be influenced by emotion and feeling.

The only reason she hadn't gone to Headmistress Griffon was because, if Mirta had just been angry and went somewhere, she would be in trouble because Griffon would not be happy with the disturbance. Stella would rather not let anyone endure the wrath of a tired Mrs. Griffon, the woman was scary as hell. Maybe even worse.

Sighing, she threw her head back, and stared at the ceiling, trying to think without the onslaught of emotions, but of course the effort was futile. Tilting her head slightly, she heard the door knob twist and the door open on its old and creaky hinges. Standing up, she watched Mirta stumble into the room, looking drained and tired. "Mirta." Stella breathed, relieved. "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick." Anger set in and she crossed her arms.

Mirta glanced up at her, her stone eyes paled and glazed over. "I went up to one of the balconies that was a strong magic point." Her teeth chattered. Stella took a minute to survey her, she was rubbing her arms and her nose was red along with her ears and fingertips.

"Great dragon, Mirta." Stella sighed, pulling the girl to the couch, flinching at the cold skin that she wrapped her hand around. Mirta collapsed against the pillows and Stella frowned, this wasn't just strong magic drainage. This was something different, something almost dangerous. "What spell did you cast?" Narrowing her eyes, she began to use her light magic to warm Mirta up.

"It was a looking spell. I figured out the Trix's plans." Mirta whispered, her teeth still gritted together, but they had stopped chattering. Her movements were slurred, "Something feels wrong with the ley lines, they feel tainted, Stella." Her glazed stone-colored eyes caught Stella's and a feeling of dread traveled up Stella's spine. "I think the Trix did something to them. I've never felt so sick after using them before." Mirta's eyes slid closed.

Casting her magic out, Stella tried to counter whatever Mirta was feeling. At first, she found nothing, before the magic fuzzed around her, evil and threatening. Countering the danger, she searched some more, before pulling back. "You're right, the ley lines are dangerous. Mirta, don't use them anymore until we know what happened to them." Stella gave her a look, "What were you thinking? Watching the Trix, what if one of them was able to sense you?"

Mirta opened her eyes, the glazed look was gone, which was a relief to Stella but still a worry. If the danger really was from the ley lines, then a lot of witches were in grave danger if they used them. Mirta shook her head, "They didn't sense me. I'm pretty good in that area of magic." Shrugging her shoulders, Mirta smiled before it faded and seriousness engraved itself in her features. "They plan on tricking Bloom into believing she's evil and then stealing her magic."

Stella gasped, stealing magic was serious. Not only was it dangerous to do so for the person who had their magic stolen, but different types of magic did not mix. Icy had evil, ice magic and Bloom had good, fire magic. Opposites. It was also a serious offense against fairies and punishable by not just expulsion, but also by trial in front of the Magix Council. Nobody would take lightly to that kind of thing.

"I know." Mirta said, her strength slowly returning. "We have to warn Bloom, she may have wronged us in the past, but nobody deserves that. Nobody." Her eyes were pleading and Stella almost scoffed. She may have been betrayed, but she would never let something like that happen to even her worst rival, and Bloom certainly wasn't.

Stella sighed, standing up. "And we're going to help Bloom, even if it's going to be painful. We can't just let someone suffer like that." She began pacing. "Did you find out when they're going to do it?" She asked, glancing at Mirta, who slowly shook her head. Stella sighed, they were still one step behind the Trix, but it was a small step.

Tapping her chin, she thought of a way to contact Bloom, but she had deleted her number a few weeks ago, it would be no use trying to do so now. Finding her number would take way too long and raise suspicion if she asked around. But it was doubtful any witch had kept Bloom's number. Mirta closed her eyes, looking exhausted and drained, and a light snore followed. Stella almost smiled, draping a blanket over Mirta before going to the window.

They had to find a way to reach Bloom before it was too late.

* * *

Ringing filled Stella's ears and she winced, blinking open her eyes. She had fallen asleep in one of the chairs in the common room, after grabbing her comforter. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned and stretched, checking for any kinks in her neck, glad when she found none. Blinking, she glanced around, Mirta was stirring slightly on the couch, her hair messy and haloing around her head. She had stayed in the common room to make sure that Mirta was ok, turning on the T.V. but most have fallen asleep sometime during the movie she had thrown on.

The ringing sound that had woken her up persisted and she grabbed her phone, answering the call. "Hello?" She glanced at the clock on the wall, it was still twenty minutes before her first class and she was mentally grateful for the wake-up call, but she would never voice that.

"Stella, it's Flora." Stella immediately straightened up, fully awake now and a cold feeling gathered in her stomach. "Bloom's been gone since last night. I don't even know when she left and I know that you and her stopped being friends but I have a bad feeling about this." Flora said, her voice worried.

Stella held the phone away from her ear when she yawned, "Ok. I think I have an idea what happened. Quick question: where was she yesterday and who was she with?" She walked over to Mirta and lightly shook her awake, pointing to her phone and mouthing that it was Flora. Mirta blinked at her sleepily before stretching and waking up, pushing the blanket away from her and standing up.

"She went out after school with Sky, to some local hero-fairy café." Flora said, her voice growing even more worried, if possible. "What's going on Stella? What do you think happened?" The faint sound of her pulling her phone away and yelling at someone almost made Stella chuckle, had it not been for the situation and icy feeling creeping over her.

"Look, whatever happened to Bloom, you better tell us, got that sunshine." Another voice said into the phone and Stella rolled her eyes.

"Musa!" She could hear Flora faintly yell.

Stella almost smiled, glancing back towards Mirta, who was wide-awake and gestured for her to put the phone on speaker. She glanced towards her dorm, gesturing towards it with her head and they both moved into there before Stella put the phone on speaker. "We think that the Trix managed to convince Bloom that she was evil and plan on stealing her magic." Mirta informed them, causing Musa to swear.

"Why would they do something so illogical? They do realize that Bloom is a fire fairy which does not mix with the dark magic of Icy, an ice witch." Another voice asked in the same clipped tone as most Zenithians

"Because they're bitches." Musa answered bitterly. "Why didn't you warn us last night? We could have warned her." She sounded aggravated and Stella knew she wasn't intentionally trying to blame them, but she could help the offended feeling she felt from those words, alone.

Stella sighed, running a hand through her hair, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. "The ley lines Mirta used exhausted her and me. We think that they might be tainted and even dangerous for us to use. She was almost sick from using them and we have reason to believe that the Trix are behind that too, with all of the ancient witch magic flowing through them." Stella informed them and the other line went silent. "Look, I know. This is all a huge mess, but we have to hurry, before the Trix reach Bloom before we can tell her that it is a trick."

Flora sighed on the other line, her breath ragad. "Ok, meet us at Alfea." They then hung up and Stella sighed, glancing at her alarm clock. It didn't look like they would be able to make it to first block, and she hoped that the headmistress would be able to forgive them for skipping one class.

* * *

When they arrived at Alfea, the sun was already up and Stella couldn't help but be hit with the nostalgia of being at Alfea after so long. The too-bright walls with blue paneled rooftops. Flora and two other girls were waiting by the gates, transformed into their fairy forms. "Hello. I'm Tecna and this is Musa. I don't believe we have been formally introduced." The pixie wearing a purple bodysuit said, eyeing them briefly.

Musa folded her arms across her chest. "We don't have time for formal introductions, Tec. We have to find Bloom." She slid her gaze to us, dark blue eyes piercing. "Where do you think they are?"

Flora grinned, despite the situation, her eyes shining. "Well, something has seen Bloom walk right through here and we are standing right on it." Stella glanced at her, and the girl suddenly looked shy and bashful. In spite of her earlier confidence, the girl suddenly looked meek, as if she was afraid of being shot down. Stella sighed, the girl needed some more confidence.

"You mean the grass?" Stella scanned the grass, not knowing what Flora meant. Was there supposed to be some sort of message in the grass, because she so didn't see it. But, both Tecna and Musa had expressions of understanding on their faces, so they obviously got it.

Flora nodded. "I'm the fairy of nature." She explained, glowing green before she pointed a finger at the grass. A green arrow appeared in the grass, pointing them towards the Cloud Tower direction of the woods. Stella frowned, Mirta and her hadn't flown over using their witch magic, trusting the portal that Stella used more since flying would require drawing magic from the ley lines. "Look, everybody, Bloom went that way. Grassy fields have an excellent memory." Stella choose not to comment on that fact, considering there were a number of things that people did in fields that she was sure she would not want to remember.

Musa smiled, "Now it's my turn." She said, before scanning that direction of the woods and pointing her hands towards the direction the arrow pointed. "We need to pinpoint her location. Ultrasonic Probe!" Purple and pink energy surged from her hands and scanning the area, and Stella could feel the hum of sonic energy travel up and down her body. "Scanning complete." Musa hummed, before linking hands with Tecna, transmitting the information to Tecna.

"Commencing data analysis." Tecna reported, pulling out her handheld. Stella held her breath, waiting for a minute before a red light flashed in her hand and she smiled as widely as most Zenithians did. Satisfied with her never-failing technology. "Alright, got it." She clicked a few buttons on her handheld which conjured a holographic map of that part of the forest, zooming in. "The probe detected fairy life form in Gloomy wood, right here." She pointed to a red blinking form.

Stella nodded, and the sense of happiness of putting their magic to good use faded, turning to seriousness. The situation was extremely dangerous, pulling magic from someone could seriously hurt them and was an offense against all of the Magical Universe. "Girls, this is extremely serious. Dragon knows how the Trix managed to find something that could take magic, but we need to get to Bloom before it happens." She warned them, catching each of their eyes once.

"We know what this entails." Musa said, stepping forward with a small smile, putting a hand on Stella's shoulder. "Thank you for helping us and telling us that the Trix planned on tricking Bloom and stealing her magic." She stepped back, dropping her hand and Stella felt herself smile, even if it was a small smile. Even if she didn't like it, she could see what drew Bloom to these girls. They were resilient, strong, brave, and caring.

Tecna cleared her throat. "We better hurry if we want to get there in time." She glanced towards the slightly lit sky and frowned. "It might be too dark to properly spot Bloom. Can you light the way, Stella?"

Stella nodded, turning to the forest and feeling her magic blaze to life at her fingertips. She glanced back to the other girls, light making her skin glow, it was thrilling and amazing. Flora snapped her fingers. "We borrowed some hoverboards from Red Fountain, think you can use them." Stella stepped on the hoverboard, nodding her head and Mirta did the same. Stella had learned to use hoverboards from one of her boyfriends when she attended Alfea, before Brandon.

Mirta had probably learned some other way. "Let's go." She got on her hoverboard, and they took off. The pixies flying and the witches zooming past on their hoverboards. It was thrilling and exhilarating. Stella whooped as she raced past the girls, she loved riding the hoverboard, it was so much fun. Musa even joined in, racing with them excitedly while both Flora and Tecna shook their heads with small smiles.

"Slow down everyone." Tecna called and they hurried back to her, skidding to a stop in front of her. "Do you feel that?" She asked and Stella blinked at her confusedly, before she felt it, an array of dark magic. "It's heading for Bloom, we have to hurry, we won't make it there in time like this. She's too far away." Tecna's face finally showed its first sign of worry as she scanned the holographic map, she conjured in front of her.

Flora's face dropped and tears filled her eyes, Stella couldn't wait the devastation fill their faces, she turned her own away, the failure sinking in her gut. "I'll transport there, just show me an image of it and I'll go there. You girls catch up to me." Mirta said, her steel eyes filled with determination.

"No. Mirta, I'll go. I'm a sun-powered witch, I won't need the ley lines, but you will, if you go." Stella shook her head immediately, she wasn't going to send Mirta on a suicide mission, she couldn't just loose all of the would-be members of her coven so quickly. She felt like she was falling, like her magic had failed her and she couldn't pick herself up anymore, it was the worst feeling she had ever felt. Even worse than Bloom's betrayal, it felt like she was being abandoned, and she couldn't handle the surge of emotions.

Mirta gave her a smile. "Don't worry Stell. Besides, the girls need you to light the way. I'll be fine on my own, I promise." Flora sighed before nodding and Stella forced herself to look away when Flora gave Mirta an image of the place where the scanner had tracked Bloom to be. Tecna and Musa watched from the sidelines, both of their faces showing different levels of worry.

"Just be careful M." Stella sighed, watching Mirta's smile, engraving each feature into her mind before Mirta opened a portal and disappeared through it. Flora snapped her fingers again and the hoverboard went back to Red Fountain, zooming over the sky. ' _Don't make promises you can't keep. I've had so many false promises made to me, I can't take anymore._ ' Stella had wanted to say, but she couldn't put Mirta through that guilt if something bad did happen.

Flora put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on Stella, we have to hurry." The soothing touch did little to make all of the worry and pain go away, but Stella forced herself to smile and nod. Shaking her head, she began to hover next to them as they fly, keeping at their speed with the darkest thoughts spreading through her mind.

* * *

Immediately, the sick feeling filled her body when Mirta stepped on the other side of the swirling blue and purple portal. The poison of the ley lines spreading up and down her body, making her shiver violently and want to sit down. But she couldn't, she told the girls she could find Bloom, and she wasn't about to break that promise, especially the promise she had made to Stella. Seeing the look in Stella's eyes had almost caused her to back down, but she knew she couldn't be so selfish.

Mirta blinked warily, surveying the area. She must be where Bloom had been a few minutes ago, turning on her heel she eyed the forest floor. Small tracks were on the dew-covered grass and she followed those footprints. Up ahead, she caught a glimpse of something red and quickened her pace. "Bloom!" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Bloom." She followed Bloom to a clearing, where Bloom turned to her, wearing a light blue ensemble that was slightly different from her witch clothing.

"Mirta? What are you doing here?" Bloom asked, and Mirta pulled the branch of leaves that had been stuck in her hair out. Bloom flushed bright red and began dusting off her hair and clothes, which were covered in dirt prints and leaves, from sleeping on the forest floor. "I thought I was alone." She stated simply, her entire demeanor collapsing and Mirta felt a pang of sympathy. The tricks the Trix played always went too far, were far too cruel and she couldn't help the anger that spread through her veins.

Mirta offered a small smile. "I'm here to talk to you. Yesterday evening, I spied on the Trix-"

She was cut off by Bloom, who gasped loudly and put her hands on her hips. "Why would you do something so dangerous, M?" The old nickname seemed to escape her lips unconsciously and Mirta felt herself smile at the bittersweet memories. She also couldn't help but think that there was nothing even connected to the Ancestral witches in Bloom.

"As I was saying, the Trix said that they planned on tricking you into believing that you were a descendant of the Ancestral Witches and therefore evil." Mirta informed her, and Bloom sighed, looking at the ground and rubbing her neck. She knew it would be hard to say the next part and maybe Bloom wouldn't completely understand the full implications of what the Trix were toying with. "They then planned on stealing your magic, Bloom."

Bloom looked downright shocked. "Seriously? I didn't even know that was possible." She shook her head. "Why would they do that? Doesn't Icy realize that her and my magic are polar opposites. Wouldn't it be dangerous to her to have that and painful for me to lose that?" Bloom asked, and Mirta would have answered if it wasn't for the fact that the Trix appeared right above them. Their looks filled with anger and disgust upon spotting Mirta and she internally shivered, it was a look that promised danger.

"Well, well, well. What have we here sisters?" Icy's voice was filled with malice. "The twitch and the goody-goody pixie-loving witch. What a delightful combo." Her voice dripped with venom and the other two nodded their heads, looks of hatred brightening their smirks. "I see you've foiled my plans, I don't like that." Icy glared, ice magic swirling around her fingertips, Mirta backed away slightly, terrified, but she dug her heels into the ground, trying to stand up for herself.

Crossing her arms, she stared at the Trix. "Well, I don't like having my best friend turned against me by you." She said, trying to sound strong.

Stormy huffed, "Seriously? Ugh, you can have Lucy back, she's just a pathetic witch that barely has any magic. She's of no use to us." Stormy scowled, electricity flowing and bouncing in between her hands.

Mirta suddenly felt sick, the ley lines she used making her feel weak and drained from the tainted magic. Gritting her teeth at the comments and against the bout of sickness, she forced her shaking body to still itself. "How could you do this? How could you poison the ley lines and try to trick Bloom? You do realize that there are severe consequences to stealing magic." She narrowed her eyes at them.

Icy shrugged uncaringly. "Who cares? Once we have Bloom's magic it won't matter. We will have it because there is nothing you can do to stop us. You're already poisoned by the ley lines that will only react properly to us. You're weak and pathetic compared to us and soon, the entire universe will be." She conjured ice in her hands and fired it at them. Bloom jumped in front of her and Mirta tried to twist around to take the brunt of the blow, but by then it was too late.

Her body had already been frozen by Icy.

* * *

They had maybe only been flying for five minutes before they found the Trix, floating above the trees. Icy had just launched a blast at something and with growing fear, that was confirmed when they flew into earshot, the ice had covered Mirta and Bloom. "How sweet." Icy cooed, a malicious smirk on her face as she floated down slightly beneath Stormy and Darcy. "Now let's get down there and rip the power right out of little Bloom's heart."

Stella growled, snapping her fingers to keep herself up in the air with her own solar magic, that was in full power with the sun rising behind her. "Get away from them." She held her hands out in front of her, feeling the solar energy flow through her veins and shooting out of her hands. The magic rained down on both Bloom and Mirta, unfreezing them. Mirta looked exhausted and had to lean against Bloom for support while Bloom looked pissed, glaring at the Trix with fire burning in her eyes, turning the cyan color of her eyes, orange.

The Trix looked only slightly pissed at the intrusion, which enraged Stella more. Clenching her jaw tightly, she formed a solar sphere in her hands, dark and orange and growing larger with her anger. Icy glanced at the energy, her eyes calculating before her look became disinterested. "Ugh. Stormy, _you_ deal with them." She waved a dismissive hand, turning her gaze back to Bloom and Mirta, a malicious smirk in place.

Stormy huffed, and Darcy looked only slightly offended at the lack of attention. "Ugh fine." She sighed, before her eyes turned to a glare and a smug smirk tilted up her lips. "I'll get you pixies." She sneered, her eyes remaining on Stella with the end of her sentence and Stella glared back.

"I didn't realize you wanted us so badly." Musa taunted, flying over, her eyes strong, even though her stance remained relaxed. "Sonic boom." She flung a ball of magic at Stormy, who glowered before deflecting the ball back. Tecna held her forearm out, a green-yellow spiderweb cracked shield forming a dome shaped around them, disintegrating the spell. "Oh, so you don't like low volume, maybe you'll like hard rock." Musa held her hands up, and two identical speakers formed around the Trix sisters, including Icy.

Darcy's golden eyes glowered at them. "You pixies are pathetic." She summoned a purple, glowing spell in the palm of her hand and held it up, waves traveling off it and destroying the pink-purple see-through speakers. Stella didn't even have time to move out of the way before a large amount of dark magic pushed them out of the sky.

Rubbing her head, Stella stood to her feet, before flying upwards. She could feel the gust of air from the other girls flying after her, their wings flapping loudly as they struggled up, dazed from the blow. "I don't know, the pixie-obsessed witches seemed more pathetic to me." Stella commented, trying to conjure the sphere she had conjured before, but the solar energy pulsing from it was slightly weakened. She ignored it and tried to concentrate on getting as much magic as she could, even relying on the ley lines. The sphere grew brighter, relying on her own energy and the tainted energy of the ley lines, growing darker and darker.

Smirking, Stella aimed it at the Trix, smug when she managed to hit them back more than a few feet. Stormy even flew into the top of one of the nearby trees, a branch getting tangle in her cloud-shaped hair. Musa burst out laughing and held a hand up for a high-five, to which Stella complied with a small smile. "Well, what do you know? Guess you won't be getting Bloom's magic today, or any day." Musa commented.

"Don't expect for Mrs. Griffon to welcome you back either. She has already been informed of the stunts you three pulled today and has decided to expel you." Tecna informed them, a small smirk on her face. "The Magix Council is also sending a police force to look for you." Her tone was innocent, but her face showed that she knew the implications of her words.

The Trix's reputation would be ruined. They could never walk around without people glaring at them, even the witches would want nothing to do with them. Stealing magic was a serious offense, and nobody would ever take lightly to something like that, especially since the fall of Domino. Icy glared, baring her teeth. "You will pay for this. All of you will pay for this!" She screamed, her hair whipping around her head and her skin started to glow a light-blue. She released another scream of anger before the ice magic she had built up was launched at them.

Stella closed her eyes, hands covering her face, prepared for the frostbite inducing hit, but felt nothing. When she opened her eyes again, Tecna and Musa were holding up a convergence shield, green and pink-purple magic swirling together in the sphere holding them. "Wow girls. I can't believe you did it." Flora voiced Stella's thoughts as the ice wave traveled past them and they lowered the dome.

"Well there was a 64% chance we would succeed. The odds are in our favor."

Musa elbowed Tecna. "Just accept the compliment Tec." She winked, before they all turned to the Trix. Stella immediately scanned the forest below, the magic had been directed at them for the most part, but small parts of the forest had been covered in a layer of ice. Glancing back to the Trix, she saw that Icy looked even more pale than usual at the sheer amount of effort she put into the spell, but she was still glaring at them.

Stormy looked the most furious, not wanting to accept defeat. "That's it." She screamed, electricity flying through her hands and making her hair move like it was a cloud, shifting into shapes with electricity in between each strand. She held her hands out in front of her, two tornados escaping her hands and flying around them.

"Shit." Musa cursed, trying to fly past it, but she got zapped backwards. Stella shot a beam of light at it, but the lightning only destroyed her beam and caused small shocks to travel up and down her body. She gritted her teeth, feeling slightly nauseous. She had given everything she had into that sphere and it was a miracle she was still able to fly with how drained she felt, but she guessed she was just running on adrenaline.

Suddenly a purple rope, courtesy of Darcy, wrapped around them shocking them every few seconds and filled their minds with illusions. The tainted magic of the ley lines was making her feel exhausted and her movements slurred as she tried to escape the confinement. The wind was howling in her ears and clenched her eyes shut, her body going limp against the other girls. Flora tried to hold her up, but she slipped free from the rope, consciousness fading.

* * *

"Stella!" Bloom screamed, seeing her former friend drop from the sky. Mirta gasped, forcing down the slight feeling of nauseous feeling and stood to her feet. She hadn't been able to focus on the entire fight and Bloom had stayed beside her, trying to warm her up after being frozen in a block of ice. Bloom had fire magic, so the ice had taken a lot longer to really freeze her entirely, but it had frozen Mirta, until her systems started to shut down.

Shakily, she held a hand out to shield her eyes. The Trix were still floating above them, but had turned their attention from Stella, Musa, Tecna, and Flora, the remaining three bound by a purple rope and struggling. Mirta locked eyes with Icy, feeling a chill shoot down her spine at the murderous look in cold eyes that stared back at her.

"No! Bloom, Magic Winx, Charmix!" Bloom exclaimed, crossing her arms above her head. In a flash of light, she had changed into a sparkly two-piece fairy outfit the color of her eyes. Bloom flew towards the bottom of the tornado, dodging the lightning strikes that almost shot her out of the sky. Blearily, Mirta fell to her knees, feeling weak, any strength that she had tried to draw from the Earth was poisoned by the Trix, and she wasn't an earth-centered magical, so she couldn't rely on nature.

She didn't want to chance feeling even more weak than she had felt after she had used the ley lines, gritting her teeth she watched with fading hope as Bloom dashed towards Stella, barely catching her. Releasing a sigh of relief, she turned her gaze back to the Trix, she didn't have a choice. She had to stop them from hurting the girls anymore than they had already done. Gathering her magic in her hands, she watched the laughing Trix, their gazes turned towards Bloom barely dodging random strikes of lighting. Any more and she might be hit.

Growling, she closed her eyes, drawing strength from the ley lines, even as the magic poisoned her body and magic even more. Holding her hands above her head, she allowed the energy to grow and focused on an illusion she could use. "Stop it!" She yelled, the image appearing over her head and blowing warm air into the Trix's face, causing the tornados to disappear and the rope to as well. Bloom landed on the ground some feet away from Mirta, and a look of worry flashed across her face as she immediately ran towards Mirta.

"She broke my concentration." Stormy growled, glaring down at Mirta and raising a fist, lightning flashing from inside her clenched hand. Drained, Mirta felt the illusion collapse above her and tried to keep her shaking legs upright, briefly she knew that they were too far away to help her when the nausea overcame her. That paired with the revenge of the Trix, would not bode well.

Icy held a hand out in front of her, stopping her. A calculating look immediately came over her face mixed with a tinge of annoyance. "That was not smart. I've had it with you, Mirta. You're a pain in the neck, you're an interfering little-" She trailed off, her body shaking as she eyed Mirta up and down, her gaze halting on the pumpkin on Mirta's shirt. "Pumpkin? Hmm. Why not?" Icy smirked, conjuring a spell in her hands, muttering an incantation under her breath.

Mirta felt a tear trail down her face as the spell flew at her, with no one there to shield her. She closed her eyes as the magic remained in the air around her, settling over her like a blanket and let the weight of the tainted ley lines paired with exhaustion take over. _I'm sorry Stell_ , she thought as the magic took over her, flinging her into darkness with the last thing she could hear being the screams of the girls and the cackles of the Trix. _I broke our promise_.

* * *

Rubbing her eyes, exhausted, Stella felt her eyes flicker open, she could feel the wind in her hair and the rough landing. She groaned, glancing up at her old best-friend's face. Bloom's face was horrified, and she set Stella down, her eyes glowing a bright orange-gold color. The same color as her old Charmix, Stella thought tiredly, not understanding, her head lolling to the side. What she saw, made nothing seem clear or real, Mirta was surrounded by magic, a spell glowing around her before making her disappear.

 _Mirta_ , Stella tried to scream, barely able to crawl over to her, before she saw it, the orange pumpkin that had been on Mirta's favorite shirt, the same shirt she had worn that day. Stella felt tears stream down her face, and she rolled to her side, too exhausted to get up. The poison in the ley lines traveled up and down her body, making her feel numb before she lifted herself up, violently throwing up everything that had been in her body in the past twenty-four hours.

She wiped her mouth, disgusted, but she could barely hold herself up on her arms and could only roll away from the puke. A heat wave spread to her, and she glanced towards it. Bloom was glowing violently, her body trembling in her fairy form, _it suits her_ , Stella thought briefly, trying to lift herself up on her arms. "No!" Bloom yelled, releasing her energy and a dragon traveled around her, flying into the air and causing a wave of fire magic to blow around the area.

Stella leaned back, feeling the magic travel through her, it made her feel better, if only slightly. Like the poison had been wiped out, as only fire and light magic could do. She stood up, glancing around for Bloom, but she couldn't spot a single glimpse of Bloom's bright red hair. The other girls were on the ground next to her, flashing out of their fairy forms in separate flashes of multi-colored lights. Stella rubbed her head, feeling only slightly better, she still felt drained and knew she would need a thorough checking over by the nurse once she got back to Cloud Tower.

"What happened?" Stella asked, glancing around the area.

Tecna glanced at her handheld. "An extremely large blast of pure magic." She reported the obvious and Stella resisted the urge to comment on it, but instead chose to keep her mouth shut. She wasn't friends with these girls, hell she hadn't even known Tecna or Musa's names before this morning. "Bloom should be around here somewhere, although her magic is extremely low."

"No kidding." Musa rubbed her neck. "I can kind of see why the Trix wanted her magic, that was intense."

Flora glanced around, glowing slightly as she listened to nature. "She's over here." She pulled back a bush to reveal Bloom, who was unconscious, her body completely limp. Stella hurried over and tried to help her up, Musa joined her, and together they both draped her arms over their shoulders. Musa to the right and Stella to the left. Bloom's head hung in between them, her body barely moving, but she was still warm and therefore still breathing. But, Tecna checked her pulse nonetheless just in case.

"Flora, can you grab Mirta?" Stella glanced past Flora, at the pumpkin where Mirta had been, her heart felt like it was being cracked into two, but she tried to hold her composure. The Trix were gone, they had probably fled during the onslaught, defeat lingering in the air after them. For a minute, Stella felt smug, she had beat the Trix, well, not alone, but she had helped to beat them. The massively powerful Trix weren't so invincible anymore.

Then the minute ended, and she realized how much she had truly lost in the battle and two tears fell down her cheeks. She kept the rest in, as Tecna got out her phone, sending a quick message. "The guys will be here soon to bring us back to Alfea." Tecna informed them, putting her device away. "It would be illogical to start moving, we should just sit down and focus on regaining our strength."

"I couldn't agree more." Musa said as she and Stella gently lowered Bloom to the ground before plopping down themselves. Stella sighed, leaning against a boulder, closing her eyes briefly.

"Can I have Mirta?" She asked Flora and soon felt the comforting weight of the pumpkin in her lap. Her heart panged in her chest as she realized that she had lost Mirta and she choked on a sob. She opened her eyes, Flora had crouched next to her, and put a hand on her shoulder while Stella sobbed. The other two girls didn't say a thing, and Bloom was still unconscious, but their warmth and comfort helped only slightly to ease the pain of another broken promise.

"I will do everything in my power to turn Mirta back to normal, I swear on the Great Dragon." Flora swore, her eyes locking with Stella and green met gold. Stella flashed her a watery smile, her heart in her stomach. Tenderly, Flora wrapped her arms around Stella, and Stella began to sob into her shoulder, remaining like that until the engine of the Red Fountain hovercraft cut across the sky and she saw, through the trees, the ship land in a clearing not too far away from them.

Musa held a hand out to Stella. "Don't worry about Bloom. Flora will help me hold Bloom, you hold onto Mirta." She smiled, patting Stella's shoulder, slightly awkward before bending down to throw Bloom's arm over one shoulder. Flora went over to Bloom and did the same with Bloom's other arm and they both hoisted her up. "Alright, let's get over to the guys." Her eyes briefly went to Stella when she talked about the guys, slightly sympathetic, before she followed Tecna, who had started to lead the way to the ship.

Stella glanced down at the pumpkin in her arms, putting it down and wiping away the rest of her tears, even though she was sure her cheeks were bright red. She picked Mirta up and followed after Flora, Bloom, and Musa, glancing briefly back to where they had been before. Another pang shot through her heart before she followed them through the bushes, emerging on the other side.

The hatch was lowered on the ship and Sky, Timmy, and Brandon were exiting the ship. Stella felt her heart skitter at the look on his face, it was pure shock, before he caught her eye and a look of pain crossed his features. "What happened?" Sky ran over, taking Bloom from Flora and Musa, who made no complaint and handed her to him. Sky cradled Bloom close to him, his eyes first assessing her features before they moved to the rest of the group. Recognition lit his eyes when he saw Mirta. "Is that Mirta?" He had recognized the style of the pumpkin from Mirta's favorite shirt, especially since she was dating Bishop.

"It's a really long story and we're all kind of exhausted. Can we get back on the ship before we start talking?" Flora asked and Timmy stepped in, putting a hand on Sky's shoulder and nodding. The girls began climbing up the ship, but Stella lingered behind, she couldn't help it, she felt so on-edge, like the spell Bloom had used hadn't completely chased the Trix away, she could swear she felt their eyes on her now, watching and waiting for the moment to strike.

"Stella." Brandon's voice called to her and he grabbed her arm, causing her to flinch. His eyes were incredibly soft, like melted chocolate, and he began to tug her onto the ship. "It's ok princess, we're safe." She let him pull her onto the ship, calmed by his presence. Despite everything that had happened, every hurtful word, every argument, he still had this effect on her. He was still able to calm her with a single sentence and a single look in his eyes. Even if she wanted to deny, she would love him forever, her heart would forever be his.

She wanted to tell him so badly, but it wasn't the right time. So, she let him sit her down in the seat closest to him and the boys began to fly the plane. The hatch had already closed when she had been lost in thought, and the ship was already taking off the ground, flying towards Alfea. "What happened girls?" Sky asked after several minutes, steering the ship, although Stella could tell his mind was on Bloom.

"The Trix, but what else is new?" Musa commented wryly.

Sky's hands tightened on the steering device in response and Flora elbowed Musa. "The Trix hatched a plan to trick Bloom into believing she was evil." Flora said, shivering. Her eyes were swelling with tears as she brushed Bloom's hair back from her forehead.

"Damn it." Sky swore, "I shouldn't have listened to her when she told me to leave."

Stella sat up, "Sky, none of this is your fault." She said. "The Trix deceived both of you, mainly Bloom, as another one of their cruel tricks. Don't feel guilt for what they did. You got that princey."

Sky looked ready to retaliate, but Timmy coughed, shooting him a look that made him shut up. "We figured it was the Trix again, almost all of Magix saw the light flashes in the sky. It's only logical to assume that the last blast came from Bloom. But, why would the Trix try to deceive her?" Timmy inquired, frowning. "It's so illogical."

Sharing a look with the other girls, Stella sighed before steeling herself. "Turn the ship on autopilot guys. I don't care if we just float here, but I don't want you guys to be driving like this." The boys shared identical looks before they slowed the ship to a hover and flicked the gear into neutral. Stella took a deep breath, facing them each. The girls already knew what had happened, but the boys needed to know and they needed to hear it from her. "The Trix planned-are probably still planning-to steal Bloom's magic."

Sky stood up, running a hand through his blonde hair. "By the Dragon." He breathed, and Brandon stood up, putting his hand on Sky's shoulder, but Sky just shoved him. Stella knew that nobody else had probably noticed the hurt look that flashed so quickly across Brandon's face. She gestured him over to her and he sat down in the seat next to her, reaching for her fingers. Stella let him and interlocked their fingers, both drawing strength from each other.

"Have you reported this to the Magix Council?" Timmy finally broke the silence.

Tecna nodded, "Yes. I let all of the leaders of each school know and the Magix Council." She said, before she sighed. "But they might not be able to get the Trix, considering the only one who heard their plans was Mirta." Tecna's gaze briefly darted to the pumpkin in Stella's lap, before she moved her gaze to Timmy.

"Bloom might also know, since she was most likely told by Mirta." Musa said, her hand going to her right ear. "Plus, I did hear the Trix say that they wanted to snatch the power right out of Bloom's heart. Whatever 'the power' might be, it is incredibly intense. So, we might be able to use that as proof." She offered and Tecna nodded, although her gaze was still slightly worried.

"It won't be as good as them reliving the memory from Mirta, but it will be good enough for them to take the Trix into custody." Tecna said, "Once Flora breaks the spell on Mirta though, then they'll be locked away for a really long time, along with never being able to attend one of the schools again and any other school because they're technically criminals." A small smile played at Tecna's lips at the thought of the Trix suffering from the reputation that would be brought with their own defeat and the crimes against them.

Sky groaned, "So we wait, we wait while they only get taken into custody for maybe one night." He looked ready to punch something and Stella felt Brandon's grip tighten on their interlocked fingers. "This isn't right, they can't just get off with a ruler on the wrist while Mirta might be stuck like that for weeks." Sky made a wild gesture towards Mirta.

"Look, Sky, none of us like it. I would love for my best friend to not be a pumpkin right now, but we have to have patience." Stella glanced down at the pumpkin, feeling a tear trail down her cheek. "Contrary to what you think. Mirta and I both came out here to help Bloom, and that's what I'm going to try to do. Plus, we both need to be checked over by a nurse pretty soon, even if she is a pumpkin because we both used the magic from the ley lines."

Brandon gave her a concerned look. "What's wrong with the ley lines?"

Flora sighed, "They're tainted and both Stella and Mirta relied on them heavily during the fight. It's a miracle Stella is awake right now, but that might be because the magic Bloom released could have dulled the effects." Flora explained.

Brandon's grip tightened on her hand and he turned her face to his with his other hand. "You used the ley lines, knowing they were tainted. How could you do something like that sunshine?" His voice was barely controlled and anger flashed in his eyes. Stella sighed, her cheeks felt like they were burning from the contact, but she forced the feeling down. "Please don't do something like that ever again."

"No promises." Stella cautiously leaned her head against his shoulder. Brandon sighed, but there was a chuckle that echoed above her. She glanced around the area, everyone was watching them with amused looks, even Sky looked slightly amused.

Musa gave Flora a mischievous look, "Ten gems they get together by the end of the week." She betted and Stella quirked an eyebrow at her.

Flora flicked Musa, "Have you learned nothing from betting on your friends before?" She sighed, but there was an amused smile playing at her lips and she shot Stella a wink. The playfulness soon faded as she glanced out the window. "We better start heading back, sorry you two, but I'm sure you can talk later." She grinned cheekily causing everyone to laugh, including Brandon and Stella nudged him, but she couldn't stop the small chuckles from escaping her mouth.

"So, how many questions do you think people will have when we get back?" Musa asked, peeking out the window as they zoomed over the trees.

Stella shrugged, "No idea."

Tecna began typing on her phone, reading off a low number before a strangely high number. They all stared at her, except for the guys, who looked at her in the dashboard briefly, confused by where she could calculate such varying numbers. "No explanation needed, sweetie." Flora said, even though they definitely needed one, but Stella could guess that Tecna, like most Zenithians, tended to get into a huge amount of technical detail regarding her calculations.

Stella sighed, rubbing circles on Brandon's hand with her pointer finger, she had a feeling that there was so much more danger to come.

* * *

 **I'm so used to saying I'm sorry for the long wait at the end of each chapter, but it hasn't been that long since my last update, so I guess I can't say that anymore. I wanted to include the rest of the stuff from the one-hour special, "Revenge of the Trix", but the portion in the woods just took up too much stuff so there was no point in even trying to go there. I can apologize for that, right? And for all of the grammar mistakes in this chapter, although I hope there aren't too many. Anyways, thank you for reading and I'll try to update Rivals by tomorrow, but I make no promises.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

Revenge of the Trix

* * *

Chapter 7

* * *

Once the ship touched the ground, a large amount of the Magix force surrounded the ship hatch, weapons raised. Stella glanced out the window, nervous and terrified, each member of the force looked dangerous and unrelenting. They had orders, and she briefly wondered what exactly those orders were. The pixies that were outside in the courtyard were ushered in my several of the teachers but Stella could practically feel their gazes on the ship, staring through the windows and waiting. Some were probably even live streaming, waiting for the group to lower the hatch and exit.

"This is terrifying." Flora's voice was a whisper. She was shrinking back against Musa's side, looking pale and bone tired. Stella glanced back to the window, bracing herself and tightening her hold on Mira, she wasn't going to let go of Mirta, even if it meant having hundreds of magical weapons trained on her. Set to kill her with one misstep.

Tecna nodded, her own face pale. "We have to leave immediately, if we don't, they will open fire at the ship and force us out." She spoke, a slight tremor in her voice that gave way to her own amount of fear. Stella pinched herself a few times, the bruising pressure lessening her anxiety over being face-to-weapon with the MPF (Magical Police Force). Timmy was shaking, but he clicked the button to lower the hatch, he pushed his glasses up his nose, his hands filled with small tremors the entire time.

Sky looked the most at ease, grabbing Bloom and cradling her gently, his blue eyes flickered around the group, until they landed on Stella. She shared a look with him, they both were used to being royalty, having weapons trained on their own enemies, but Stella no longer had that. Sky, however, did and if they played their cards just right, nobody would be forced, alone, in an interrogation room.

Brandon's hand was still secured around her own, stroking her fingers tenderly, he knew the prejudices against witches would make most of the weapons be aimed at her rather than anyone else. The small comfort of him being there slightly washed away Stella's fear of dealing with people, who without a doubt, hated her for what she chose. "We'll be ok princess." He whispered in her ear, his breath hot against her neck.

Goosebumps rose against her skin as they began to walk down the hatch, their hands raised, so that they were in sight of the MPF. Stella didn't raise her hands, her grip tight on Mirta. "Put your hands up, _witch_." The commander sneered, a scowl of disgust on his face, his bright red cape flapping in the breeze, contrary to the sky-blue capes of the other members. His helmet had four feathers, two of which that were blue and the other two were bright red.

Stella rolled her eyes, despite her fear. "No." She shook her head. "We're the ones who called you, so why are you here, rather than doing your job?" Stella pointed her head to Bloom, who was still unconscious in Sky's arms. "Do you know who she is? She is a fairy that attends here and guess what, almost had her magic stolen by the Trix. So, do your damn job, and find the people who tried to steal her magic. Or are you too clouded by emotions to do your job?"

The commander had a bit of emotion to look ashamed of himself, but then his eyes lit with hatred and he motioned for all guns to be aimed at her. "You seem to forget who she is." Musa jumped in, stepping forward now that no arms were aimed at her. "She is the Crown Princess of Solaria, and I don't think any of the people who adore her for making her own choices would take too kindly to their police force trying to threaten her."

"Was." The commander corrected, by he motioned for his men to lower their weapons, but his eyes were still trained on Stella. The look of pure hatred overcoming him. "The heads of the schools would like for all of you to come with us." The crowd parted to let them past, but every eye was trained on them.

Flora was shaking like a leaf under the pressure and Musa reached a hand out to steady her while they walked through the crowd, some soldiers leading them and some behind them. When they walked into the school, Stella could hear the whispers and feel the stares like a blanket covering her skin. She shifted, uncomfortable as they walked through the hallways, the students were ushered into the classrooms, despite the fact that their faces were pressed against the glass and the teachers were still trying to draw them away from the window.

"Dragon, they're trying to make it seem like we did something wrong." Musa muttered, eyeing the guards with a look disdain. Stella couldn't help but agree, all witches, despite their personalities, were always made out to be the evil. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize saving Bloom was something evil, my bad." She said sarcastically, causing a few looks to be shot at her by the people surrounding them.

Tecna put a hand on Musa's shoulder, whispering something in her ear that Stella didn't quite pick up on. She caught faint words, but she couldn't make anything of them. Glancing down at Mirta, she watched as the orange slowly started to fade. The dark spell must have prevented Bloom's light magic from helping Mirta, so she was still suffering from the full effects of dealing with the tainted ley lines.

It took a long time for them to reach the room, but when they did, the Commander walked past them, and opened the door, ignorant of the guards on each side of the door, stepping into the room. Stella rolled her eyes at his actions, before she followed after him and the group. The inside of the room was just like she remembered, the same curtains on the windows and the same desk situated in front of said windows. The bright blue sky was right behind the heads of each school along with the leader of the Magic Council. Their silhouettes cast a long shadow across the room, their faces sharp and unmerciful.

The commander bowed, clapping a hand to his chest. "My liege." He said, before he straightened his spine. "We have delivered the delinquents." His gaze darted to Stella and she glared right back at him.

Griffon quirked an eyebrow. "I believe the delinquents were Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. None of these students look like those three to me. Do they?" She inquired, her voice sharp as the commander glowered at her. She smirked at him, "It seems perhaps a new commander should be voted for your position Ricardo, considering you can't seem to do your job, properly." Griffon waved a dismissive hand in his direction, her eyes surveying Stella with a level of practiced care.

Stella begrudgingly admired her for the act.

"Now, if my student was hurt by your team members, I will not hesitate to nominate for a new commander. Are we clear, _commander_?" She spat the last word with all the venom in her lean body. Stella glanced at Ricardo's reddening face, a mixture of embarrassment and disgust spreading like poison across his features.

The head of the Magix Council had been quiet up until that moment, stroking his silver curly beard, and eyeing everyone in the room interestedly. "That will be all Ricardo." If he was disappointed, there was no hint in his voice of it. "Send your men to scourge Magix for the infamous Trix." Fergus ordered, Ricardo clapped a hand to his chest, lowering his upper body fractionally before he left, his red cape flapping behind him. The two guards on either side of the door, closed it gently behind him, their faces withholding their true feelings.

She turned back to the authorities, waiting for someone to speak, to break the tense silence that filled every corner of the room. Finally, Sky sighed, handling Bloom with care as he gently lowered her onto the couch. Nurse Ophelia, who Stella hadn't noticed when they entered the room, was immediately by her side, a small amount of her equipment with her. Sky turned back to the four elders, clapping a hand to his chest and bowing.

"Rise." Fergus spoke, his voice gravelly. Sky complied with the order, rising to his full height, almost a foot taller than the head of the Magix Council. "Now, would you tell us what happened this morning, Crown Prince Sky of Eracklyon?" The words were spoke without giving Sky an option to even volunteer anyone else.

Sky began explaining every detail of the morning, from being called to Gloomy wood, to arriving at Alfea, skimming over a few details. Namely, Stella and Brandon's interaction, but from the knowing look in their eyes, she could tell they understood exactly what happened. Stella was infinitely grateful that he had volunteered to speak, he was royalty, like her, but unlike her, he still was a favorite in the Magical Universe due to his parent's influence.

When he had finished, Tecna had taken over, explaining the details of Bloom going to Cloud Tower to learn about herself, provoking looks of slight anger on Griffon and Faragonda's faces. To the Trix conspiring to convince her she was evil and steal her magic. By the end of their story, a stunned silence filled the room, and Stella found that she couldn't relax, even though Nurse Ophelia had moved to take Mirta from her, with a caring and sympathetic mixture of emotions swirling in her compassionate eyes.

Fergus stroked his beard, eyeing the students in front of him carefully, as if he half-expected another story to unravel. Finally, he turned to Griffon, Faragonda, and Saladin, and Stella felt herself deflate before she cast a worried look over towards Mirta. "We will be conducting a full investigation of Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. We will also require that, once your students have rested from this entire ordeal, that they allow for our mind readers to double-check their memories." He didn't quite sound like he fully believed the idea, but he was at least willing to listen.

Stella counted it as a victory, however small.

Faragonda bowed her head, "Of course, sir." She smiled, kindly. "We wish you safe travels on your way back to Magix City."

Regarding her with slight disdain, Fergus accepted the words with a nod. "We will be seeing you lot again, very soon." His words were promising, before he swept out of the room. His guards trailing after him and Stella watched the door until the sound of his boots faded from hearing range. She sighed, glancing over the rest of the group, Flora looked shaken, her eyes glazed over with worry. Musa looked only slightly affected, toying with her lip in between her teeth. And Tecna looked the least affected out of all of them, the slight tremor in her hands very small and a detail Stella almost skimmed over at a glance.

"I hate that man." Griffon stated bluntly, her eyes trailing to the pumpkin as Ophelia flittered around with the grace of a butterfly. "Will Miss Mirta be alright?" She inquired, her eyes sharp.

Ophelia hesitated. "She will be once I rid her of some of the after-effects of dealing with tainted ley lines." She stated firmly, casting a look towards Flora. "Unfortunately, I'm not a nature fairy so I will be unable to reverse her condition." Flora seemed to deflate under the pressure of the stares aimed at her and Stella internally begged that she could do so soon, because she still felt empty without the kind eyes and fierce loyalty of Mirta. Her fingers twitched at her side as she watched Nurse Ophelia at work, injecting a needle into the pumpkin, causing it to turn a brilliant shade of orange. "I have bought her a little bit of time." Ophelia began to pack up her things, "We won't be able to get the full effects out until she is back to normal, but for now, she will be alright."

Griffon nodded, seemingly pleased, but her gaze was dark when she glanced at Flora. "I'm assuming that you are the nature fairy." Her voice was deadpan and Flora nodded, locking eyes with Griffon with more boldness than usual, though her hands were trembling. Griffon's eyes narrowed, immediately detecting the weakness. "You will need to have full confidence, if you want to help Miss Mirta." Griffon stated.

Flora nodded, forcing herself to still, her eyes filled with determination. "Of course. Will I be able to keep Mirta here so that I can research the spell to aid her?" Her question was aimed at both Faragonda and Griffon.

Faragonda smiled warmly while Griffon rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless. "Of course, dear." Her expression shifted to one of concern. "Now, you all have encountered so much as of late, you girls head back to your dorms to get rest. Once Bloom wakes up, she'll be joining you." The three girls glanced over at Bloom before nodding, they were gone very quickly, hinting at their exhaustion.

Saladin glanced over the three boys, "Come young men, we will be flying back to Red Fountain." He walked ahead of them, cutting Stella a slight glance, filled with curiosity, before he was gone. Brandon glanced over her, his hand wrapping around hers in a quick squeeze before he was gone. Stella almost wanted to go after him, but she stopped herself, digging red little crescent moons into her palms with her fingernails.

Ophelia snapped her fingers, a gurney forming in front of her and she eased Bloom onto it, Bloom muttered something incoherent underneath her breath, before she became still once more. "I will be heading back to the infirmary with young Bloom." Her eyes were soft on Stella, and she shot her a small, but warm, smile. She left, the gurney holding Bloom trailing after her. The door closed, sealing Stella in the room with Faragonda and Griffon.

She slowly turned back to them, meeting their gazes. Faragonda was the first to break the tense silence. "Please, have a seat Miss Stella." She gestured to the lavish-cushioned seat in front of the desk, a warm smile stretching across her pink lips. Stella sat down, gripping the seat cushion tightly in her hands, it did very little to soothe away the knot of anxiety in her stomach, but it helped.

"What's going on?" She glanced suspiciously from each headmistress, curious.

Griffon's face was impassive. "Once the witches of Cloud Tower have discovered that it was you who helped _fairies_ and _heroes_ expose the Trix. They will not take anymore kindly to you, Miss Stella." Stella's heart dropped, wondering if she was being kicked out of Cloud Tower. "Well, maybe not all of them, most of them will see it as that they should not mess with you considering you took down the 'impressive' Trix sisters." Griffon amended.

Faragonda cut in. "We believe that it would be best if you returned to Alfea to continue your freshmen year." Faragonda stated and Stella's fear turned to surprise. She had been kicked out of Alfea with no chance of returning and now the opportunity was dropped so quickly into her lap. A part of her wanted to accept it, come back to Alfea, make friends with Bloom again and date Brandon without any strain. It would be the perfect fairytale life. But, a larger part of her knew that her small time at Cloud Tower, wouldn't chance the prejudice treatment against witches. It would be viewed as a small rebellion rather than the revolutionary idea that it was.

Griffon looked expectant, her eyes flickering with her own doubt.

"Your father has agreed to pay for you to attend here once more, including some extra fees for the potion issue last year." Faragonda informed her, a cheery smile on her face. Stella felt a spike of rage, her father planned on buying her back and also making her good, along the way. "And, of course, you will be welcomed back with open arms. Most of the staff have agreed with the proposition."

Stella came to a decision, her eyes lit with determination. "I enjoyed my time here, in Alfea. It was quite amazing to live here and train to be a fairy." Stella smiled at the bittersweet memories, she had had a clique at Alfea, girls that had been both noble and royal. They had fun all the time, going to parties and flirting with heroes. She crossed her arms, "But my decision has not changed from the start of the year. I want to continue to study at Cloud Tower and train to be a witch." Both looked shocked at the proclamation, though Griffon was the first to recover, with a smug little smirk.

"Well, you have your answer Faragonda." Griffon cooed in a sugar-coated voice. "Now, we must be going, Miss Stella has a few assignments that she must catch up on that she missed helping your students." Griffon gestured for Stella to follow her and Stella complied, not once glancing back, it was going to be a difficult path of being a witch. There would be hatred pouring from every corner, but her idea was still not done, because despite having no princess title, she wasn't done helping witches and herself.

* * *

Almost everyone knew about Stella's encounter with the witches, they kept starring at her before whispering things to each other. By the time, they had arrived back to the school, it was nearing the end of lunch and Griffon had left wordlessly to head back to her office. The crowd parting for Griffon to make her leave, but their eyes weren't on the frightening headmistress, they were on Stella.

 _"_ _What is she doing here?"_

 _"_ _Ugh. The spoiled princess is still here."_

 _"_ _I heard she got disowned."_

 _"_ _I heard she fought against the Trix just this morning."_

 _"_ _Why is she still here? And where's Mirta?"_

The whispers continued, getting louder and louder as Stella walked past them, keeping her head held high. She would not show them any weakness by keeping her head lowered, even though the ground called to her, beckoning for her to lie down and rest. Even though she still had the rest of classes to attend, she still felt rather drained and desperately wanted to close herself in her dorm for the rest of the day. She knew better, she would just need a quick hero's brew potion that she kept stocked up for exhausting days, then she would be just fine.

Making her way to her dorm to grab her things, she was stopped by a particular voice that spoke louder than the whispers. All other voices went silent and Stella turned around, Lucy was standing right behind her, a few feet away. She looked blank and emotionless, but there was something swirling in her eyes. "Is it true?" Lucy asked loudly, not looking at anyone else, but Stella.

Stella kept her eyes locked on Lucy's eyes, quirking an eyebrow. "Yes. It is true. I went and fought the Trix this morning, they have been suspended from the school for attempting to steal someone's magic. You know, the usual." Stella waved a hand, rolling her eyes. A range of gasps echoed around her and the crowd began to whisper back and forth with each other. Some whispers sounded to be in Stella's favor, while others sounded angry that their pedestal witches had been knocked over.

Lucy balked, her eyes wide, before they narrowed back to her normal size and she gave Stella a once-over. "I'm surprised. People haven't attempted to do that since-"

"The fall of Domino." Stella finished, wincing slightly. Domino had turned the alliance of witches and fairies to shit. It made them not to be trusted and prejudices against witches raised with each day along with tension. Domino had been one of the most glorious planets in the magical universe, and its loss had weighed heavily on everyone. Witches, fairies, and heroes had all been lost that day, good people who hadn't deserved their fate.

More whispers emerged, loud and roaring. Lucy glanced around suddenly, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Where's Mirta?" She suddenly asked.

Stella tried to conceal her flinch, but everyone caught onto it, their whispers silenced and they watched her with bated breath. "You know the Trix called you a joke, said that you were pathetic and weak." She had the satisfaction of watching Lucy flinch as if she had been struck, but her eyes still narrowed. "Icy, the person you wanted to be just like, turned Mirta into a pumpkin with a dark spell."

Lucy looked shocked and stumbled back a few steps, "The pumpkin on her shirt." She seemed to understand something that Stella didn't, but Stella just ignored the matter. Lucy had treated Mirta like absolute shit the entire year and now, she was acting like she cared about the fact that her idol had turned her childhood friend into a pumpkin. "I gave her that shirt." Lucy's eyes looked faraway,

Stella crossed her arms, eyeing Lucy. "Before or after you told her that she meant nothing to you." She said, before turning around and leaving the hallway.

Whispers followed her all the way to her dorm, and when she closed the door, she almost broke down in tears.

* * *

"How was your day?" Stella inquired that evening, stifling a yawn. The day had been a bit better with the hero's brew to help, but now she was starting to feel the exhaustion nipping away at her. She was lucky she didn't have work until the following morning, meaning she could sleep pretty soon, despite the early hour. She ran her fingers through her hair, she had already brushed her teeth and gotten some food from the cafeteria for dinner, before deciding to check in on the girls.

Flora yawned. "I slept for the most part of the day, but I still just feel so, drained." Her voice was sleepy and Stella almost envied the fact that she had gotten to sleep. "I'm guessing, by your tone, that you went to classes for the rest of the day." Flora sounded slightly bemused.

"Yup." Stella sighed. "I also got a crap ton of looks from basically everyone, so it was fun." She rolled her eyes to herself, making a face in the mirror.

Flora laughed, "Well you could have gone to bed, I'm sure Griffon wouldn't have minded." She reminded Stella, "You did, after all, just face down senior witches when you're only a freshmen."

"Yeah, I know. I got tons of questions about it all day. I'm guessing the Trix aren't so pleased to know that they got pummeled by freshmen pixies and witches." Stella chuckled to herself. "They're probably going to be spotted with their tail-in-between their legs." She smirked at the thought of the Trix looking even slightly remorseful.

"I wish, but I don't think so." Flora sighed. "The Trix always have something up their sleeves, though they might lay low for a while." Stella got silent at the thought, it caused a shiver to travel up and down her spine. Even if she could joke that the Trix were done for, she knew, deep-down, that they were far form done. "Anyways, Bloom's awake, she woke up a little bit ago. Exhausted, but she seems to be ok. No sign of her actually drawing from the ley lines, but Ophelia is gonna keep an eye on her for the next few days."

Stella whistled. "If she didn't use the ley lines, then we have our explanation as for why the Trix are after her." She hated to admit it aloud, but it was the truth. Power like that, was so rare, and for the Trix to be after it. Bloom had to be extremely careful for where she went, because the Trix were going to continue to come after her. "So, is she still awake?" Stella inquired awkwardly.

"Yeah." Stella could practically see Flora's smile through the phone. "Hey Bloom, Stella wants to talk to you." She could hear Flora call out in a faint voice, pulling the phone away from her ear.

Another voice suddenly came onto the line. Bloom's voice, so familiar. "Hey Stell." Bloom calling her by her nickname caused tears to swarm in Stella's eyes. "I mean, Stella. Sorry, it's just you and Mirta both came to help me, and I really appreciate it. I mean, I know how the witches are, they probably don't like you much at all, right now and I guess, just, thank you." Bloom rambled awkwardly.

Stella almost laughed, Bloom sounded as awkward as she felt. "Welcome B." She called Bloom by her nickname. "Look, in all seriousness. I haven't forgiven you, your betrayal really hurt me, Bloom. You lied to me, and it made me wonder what was real and truthful about our friendship. But, I'm willing to try and rebuild, if you are. I'm not going to promise that we'll suddenly be ok, but I'm going to promise that I'll try."

"Yes. Yes, of course. I mean, I'd like that." Bloom said, her excitement peaking through the nonchalant tone she tried to end the statement with.

It was, by no means, going to be an easy road to recovery, Stella was still slightly hurt, but she was willing to try, because she deserved a chance to know if Bloom was really going to be a good friend. She deserved good friends.

* * *

Glaring at the scattered books in front of her, Stella pushed away from the desk, spinning in circles in her chair. Finals were right around the corner, hinting at the soon-to-be end of her first year as a witch. She had spent her entire life, before this year, training to be a fairy, but nothing like being a witch had ever felt so right. Like being part of something larger than herself. Nostalgia settled over her like a blanket, and she bit her lip, the year hadn't been easy, there had been constant drama and her renouncing her crown.

Stella sighed, chancing a glance at her crowded desk, there were millions of study guides on the desk, and a bunch of spell books that she had borrowed from the library she worked at. She had been reading up on spells to reverse the spell cast on Mirta to no avail, every spell she tried, backfired. It only seemed to remind her that the time was sliding through her fingers like grains of sand.

Mirta wouldn't be able to be a pumpkin for much longer, her color was already fading from the tainted magic engulfing her, and soon the pumpkin would rot and decay into nothing.

It was cruel, the Trix had planned it perfectly, with Mirta unable to relay her memories through the spell and the memory-readers unable to decipher the memories. The Trix would get away with it because there was barely any proof other than Mirta. Stella chuckled to herself, bitter, at least the Trix had been kicked out of Cloud Tower, but they would be free to roam and attempt to steal Bloom's magic again.

At least the hunt for the Trix was still on for the business with the ley lines, they had outright admitted to Bloom their involvement with the ley lines and she was able to relay that to the Magix Council. Sadly, the Trix were still nowhere to be found, even though all of the forest and the planet had been thoroughly searched for any traces of them. From what she had heard from Tecna, the background check was still coming up with nothing, and the council had essentially given up on that part of it.

Spinning around in her chair faster, Stella watched the room go by in a blur of colors, mixing together. A knock on the door caused her to abruptly stop and Stella held her head, clearing it, before she got up and made her way to the door. She opened the door and Lucy brushed past her, walking into the room and plopping down on the empty bed that used to be Bloom's bed.

Trying not to think too much about that, Stella crossed her arms, quirking an eyebrow. "Last I checked, this was my room." Stella commented, narrowing her eyes.

Lucy looked like she wanted to say something snarky, but shut her mouth a minute later, instead, she glanced around the room. Her eyes landing on a particular picture of Bloom, Mirta, and Stella at the beginning of the year. "Is Mirta free yet?" She finally asked, locking eyes with Stella.

Stella surveyed the girl in front of her, the hunched shoulders and the windswept hair. Even her clothing seemed less put-together, not that it ever had been like Stella's taste, more wrinkled and baggier. "Not yet. Why? Are you worried about her?"

"What's taking so long for your pixie friends to help her?" Lucy sneered, but there was a miserable look gleaming in her eyes. The telltale sign of her worry and concern for Mirta. "Have they realized that a witch could do it way better?" Lucy began to pick at her nails, peeling off the dark purple nail polish that had been on there.

Stella rolled her eyes. "I haven't seen anyone of the rest of you trying to help. Plus, Flora is a nature pixie, she has a better chance of reversing it than you would with your magic." Stella hadn't cared enough to actually know what Lucy's source of power was, all she knew was that the girl was probably not a nature witch.

Lucy sighed. "Despite what you think, us witches have a code. No witch left behind. We might have ridiculed both her and you, but we aren't heartless bitches." Lucy seemed to be searching for more words to say. "We show our care differently than pixies do, if you still can't understand that. Then I recommend you go back to your pixie days."

Stella eyed her for a long time, looking for any sign of falsity, but only sincerity resided in Lucy's dark eyes. "Sorry, not happening." Stella replied, her lips tilting up into a smirk. "You witches are stuck with me."

Lucy smirked back for a minute, before her face became emotionless, but there was a slight friendliness burning in her eyes. "Well, then, you should probably stop referring to yourself in the third person. It's kind of pixie-like." A teasing look etched itself across her face. Lucy grabbed a piece of gum off the table. "Me and a few girls are going to hit up a party in downtown Magix, you better change if you want to come." She blew a bubble before she exited the room.

"See you there, Lu-Lu." Stella said the endearment mockingly, sifting through her clothes. Lucy rolled her eyes at the name, exiting the room as quickly as she arrived while Stella grabbed a black short dress from her closet and pushed it on. Combing her fingers through her hair, she toyed with her bangs, she really wanted to style them longer. Maybe, when she had the time, she would go to a stylist and get a newer look.

Zipping up her leather boots, Stella brushed her bangs to the side, forcing them there with a bobby pin. She chanced a glance at herself in the mirror and couldn't believe that she was seeing a girl dressing up for a party rather than staying in. Smirking slightly, she grabbed her messenger bag and went to the first party she had went to in almost a year.

* * *

"Hey, so how is the exhibition going?" Stella inquired, laying down on her bed, she had started to hang out with Lucy, Raven, Morgan, Regina, and Cerise ever since the night at the party, which had been a huge amount of fun. The girls were super fun to be around, and not all of them were like Lucy, but they were pretty nice people, when she got past all the teasing, rude, comments. She had spent the past week, studying, hanging with the witches, and working, barely fitting in time to check in on Mirta.

Much less catch up with Brandon, they had yet to actually define whatever the heck they were, sticking to easy topics rather than the angsty, icky stuff. Brandon huffed into the other end of the phone and she could practically see him scowling on the other side. "It's going good, don't get me wrong. The training is really starting to come together, if only Sky and Riven would get their shit together."

"Let me guess, Riven's being an asshole, again?" Stella sighed, "Take it a little easier on him, he's still under that spell from Darcy."

There was a moment of silence on the other end and Stella bit her lip. "Don't remind me. It's so difficult to try and pretend I don't know about the spell, because she has her claws so deep in his mind that she might hurt him if we report it." It was the only reason they hadn't reported the mind-control to the Magix Council. It would put Riven's mind on the line, he could loose everything, his memories, his ability to physically move, he could essentially become a vegetable.

"I've been trying to find something, but it's not exactly my forte. Plus, with everything with Mirta and finals. I've been a bit too busy and distracted to find anything." Stella winced, feeling slightly selfish.

She almost thought he was going to lash out at her, but he simply laughed. "I get it sunshine, it's just difficult to watch him act like this." Her heart went out to him, Stella already knew she was in far too deep and everything in her wanted to pull out because of the vulnerability that came with it. "Speaking of the exhibition. I have an extra-plus one invite and I was wondering if you would be my plus-one."

Stella chuckled at the nervous tone in his words, weaving through his voice. "Sure. Sounds fun." She said, smiling. Uncertainty flittered through her, turning her stomach into butterflies, flapping underneath her skin. She wanted to ask him so many questions, confess that she was starting to fall, hard, and she wanted to know where his heart was at. "Brandon, I-"

"Sorry sunshine. I've got to get back to training. Codatorta just called us down." Brandon cut her off, and she swallowed harshly, blinking back the mist coating her eyes. "We'll talk later." He promised, and then he was gone.

Stunned, Stella pulled the phone away from her ear, blinking down at it. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she realized what she had been about to do. Shakily, she lowered the phone onto her nightstand, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Placing a hand to her chest, she tried to slow the fluttery in her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on her breathing, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. The ring of her phone on her nightstand forced her eyes open, and she quickly grabbed her phone.

"Brandon?" She inquired, hope lighting her voice.

There was a cough on the other end, clearly feminine. "Sorry Stell. It's Bloom." There was a beat of silence and Stella swallowed her hope, before she smiled. "Um, I kind of need some help, like, some love advice." Stella immediately perked up, her smile widening.

"Oh. With who? Is it Sky?" Stella wiggled her eyebrows teasingly, even though Bloom couldn't see her.

"I don't like him like that. He's just a friend."

"The same friend who bridal-style carried you when you were unconscious two weeks ago."

"Stella!"

"Hey. Don't yell at me. You were the one who called me for love advice."

"I'm starting to regret that now." Bloom sighed, through the phone, Stella could practically envision the fading color that had stained Bloom's face. "I tried to see if Sky would want to take me to the exhibition, because all of the girls thought that he'd want to go with me and I thought so too." Stella laid on her back, staring at the white ceiling above her head. The bed dipped under her weight, and she closed her eyes, rubbing her temple.

She opened her eyes, "But." Stella prompted, moving her in a circle.

Bloom groaned, "It exploded in my face! He clearly doesn't like me at all, because when I asked. He got all stutter-y and basically hung up on me." She said, sounding hurt and annoyed. Stella frowned to herself, tapping her chin, she tried to think of a reason Sky wouldn't want Bloom to be there.

Snapping her fingers, Stella sat up, folding her legs underneath her. "The King and Queen of Eracklyon are going to be there. I've only met them in a few meetings, but they aren't that nice." Stella informed her, "He might not want you to meet King Erendor and Queen Samara."

Bloom sighed. "You could be right." She said, "But, why wouldn't he just say that? Rather than just rambling off the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

"I don't know B. I could ask Brandon if he knows anything, but he's kind of busy with the exhibition." Stella supplied, trying to be helpful.

"Thanks for the offer, but no. I need to talk to Sky, face-to-face." Bloom said stubbornly, and Stella immediately got a feeling for what she was aiming for, her eyes widening. "I have to go to the exhibition. Can you help me get in?"

Stella hesitated, "Bloomy, I could give you my invitation." A selfish part of her wanted so badly to go to the exhibition, but she knew that Bloom was her friend, and she supposed friends did a lot for each other. Besides, Bloom deserved answers too, and if Stella couldn't have her own answers, then she would sure as hell help another friend have their answers.

"But, don't you want to go. Stell, I can't do that to you." Bloom sighed, "I'll find another way in, but please, go with your invitation and figure things out with Brandon." Stella stared at the shadows on the ceiling, she did want to go, but so did Bloom. She sighed to herself, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Her hair, which had previously been styled with bangs that swept across her forehead now had bangs that traveled down to a little beneath her shoulder, giving it a layered look.

"Are you sure Bloom? I mean, you could get in and talk to Sky, breaking in is going to pretty hard with the bouncer and everything." Stella reminded Bloom, unsure if she should just force the invitation into Bloom's hands just to prevent the explosion that was sure to occur if she did show up.

Bloom giggled, "Don't worry about it Stell. I have a plan."

"So, should I get the fire extinguisher this time?"

"It was one time." A beat, then. "Yeah, probably."

Stella chuckled, her mood quickly dimmed when she glanced over at the amounting number of books stacked on her desk. Running a hand through her hair, she mentally decided that she would give the books back to the library soon, in exchange for some more information. "So, how is the search going? With Mirta and your birth parents?" Stella added the last part quickly, Bloom had told her that she was trying to find her birth parents after a pretty eventful spring break of more nightmares along with reliving the night she had been found by her adoptive parents.

There was a sigh on the end. "I can't find anything. I thought that maybe Cloud Tower would help because there was nothing about my parents in the Alfea library and I tried to figure out who Daphne is, but the library basically attacked me." Bloom sounded thoroughly frustrated and Stella could understand that, the full story included the nymph named Daphne that had been visiting Bloom in her dreams. "At least Mrs. Faragonda gave me some information regarding Lake Roccaluce, but I can't make heads or tails of it."

"Maybe you need to visit the lake, I'm sure it would help." Stella suggested.

"We can't." Bloom said, "Alfea is currently on lock down, until the Trix are been found."

Stella exhaled, pushing a lock of hair behind one ear. "That sucks."

"I know." Bloom sighed, "We haven't been able to find anything related to Mirta either, it's just been a really long and stressful week. Between finals, searching, and more dreams I can't make sense of. Sorry, I've been bitching so much about it all, I just needed a minute to rant."

Stella nodded, understanding. "I get it Bloom, it's been a stressful week. Besides, we're friends, friends bitch to each other when we're frustrated." She sighed, checking her wrist for the time. "Sorry, I've got to go. I have a shift in twenty minutes." She stood up from the bed and began to run a black brush through her hair. She tucked the phone in between her shoulder and ear, tying her hair back into a high pony tail with a black scrunchie.

"Doesn't curfew start in ten?"

"Yeah, but since I have to pay off this year's payment plan, I have to have a job which requires late-night shifts." Stella grabbed her bag, stuffing a few textbooks into it and a few of the library books that she had borrowed. The weight of the books almost made her topple over, and she ignored the sudden strain on her shoulder. "Got to go, call you tomorrow. Bye." She hung up the phone, shoving it into a pocket on her bag, before sighing. Even if she needed the money, it never made it easier working late shifts.

* * *

Thursday and Friday came and went, shoving more and more study guides onto Stella's arms. She was grateful to be in front of the mirror, Saturday morning, wrapped in a towel as she held up two shirts in front of her. The first shirt was a lacey black skin-tight shirt with see-through sleeves with a tank-top like thing underneath it, showing her shoulders and upper chest. The second shirt was slightly more conservative, a deep fire-orange collared button up with a white tank top that would go underneath it.

She held the first one up to her, toying with her lip in between her top teeth, it was a beautiful shirt and she loved the stars in the lacework. But the collared shirt might be more appropriate and less noticeable. Shaking her head, she grabbed her phone and dialed Flora's number. Flora picked up after a few rings. "Hey Stell. Glad you called, you think you can talk Bloom down from breaking into the most important event at Red Fountain?" Stella bit back a laugh at the thought as Bloom's voice protested in the background.

"I don't think so. Just remember to bring the fire extinguisher." Stella responded, shaking her head before she glanced back down at her shirt options. "I actually need some advice for what to wear. I'm torn between these two shirts."

"You called _me_ for clothing advice?"

Stella rolled her eyes, "I know, it'll be the first and last time. I'm torn between wearing a lacey black shirt or a collared, button-up fire-orange shirt."

"Well, what look are you going for?" Flora asked, her voice amused.

Biting her lip, Stella glanced down at both shirts. "I want to shine, but I want Brandon to not think I'm overdressed for the occasion, because he invited me. I just want him to think that I look beautiful." Stella ran a hand down her face, sitting down on her bed. "Maybe I shouldn't be so worried, it's not like we're dating or anything or like he even wants to date me." She sighed, she hated to admit it and it caused a lump to build in her heart.

"Stella Renee, you are not backing down! Do you understand me?" Bloom's voice came over the line. "Now, I know of a better shirt that you could wear, wear the dark purple long-sleeved shirt with the small stars decorating the top of it. It's one of your own designs and it will look absolutely gorgeous for the occasion." Bloom ordered, and Stella immediately perked up, wondering why she hadn't thought of that shirt, it wasn't super skin-tight, but it was beautiful and sparkled in the light.

"Good idea Bloomy." Stella grabbed the hangar and put it on the bed, putting the other two shirts away in the process. "So, what are you wearing for breaking into the exhibition?" She asked.

Flora grabbed the phone back. "Stella! You're supposed to talk her out of it, not encourage her." She reprimanded, her voice stern but there was a tinge of amusement trailing along her words.

Stella shrugged her shoulders, laughing. "You're calling the wrong witch if you want to talk Bloom out of going. So, what's the plan, B?"

"Well, there isn't much of one." Musa chimed in, making Stella realize that the phone was on speaker. "So, far we're going to go to one of the less populated entrances and sneak pass the bouncer after putting a short-term sleeping spell on him. You know, if you meet us before you go in, you could put the spell on him, it might last longer."

"Sorry, no can do. They tend to blame that sort of thing on witches anyway and could trace the spell right back to me. Spells leave a magic trace everywhere they are cast. I don't think that'd be much of a good idea." Stella shook her head, putting on some deodorant before putting on her jeans, a ripped pair of skinny light blue jeans, after she put her phone on speaker. "Couldn't you just sneak in through a window?" She asked, putting on her top and admiring it in the mirror. Bloom was right, it was a good idea.

"Nope." Tecna said, popping the p. "Security is really tight this year because the Trix are still on the loose. If we go in through the window, there is an 84% chance that we would get caught by security."

Stella put her phone on her table, "So, you're telling me that you plan on breaking in, but there's no concrete plan. That's great." She commented sarcastically. "What were you going to do? Run away from the bouncer and hope that he couldn't catch you. Remember these guys are the best of the best and hired for being able to catch a bunch of delinquents."

Lucy suddenly poked her head in. "Oh, is the princess planning on crashing an exhibition. Oh, I'm in." She said, striding over and picking up the phone. Stella rolled her eyes at her, running the brush through the damp strands of her hair. "And I've got the perfect plan. Don't worry pixies, you're in perfectly evil, capable hands." She cooed, her voice sickeningly sweet. Stella could practically picture the look on Bloom's face and snickered at the mental image.

"I wouldn't trust you as far as-" Bloom started but was cut off.

"Oh, we're totally in." Musa said sweetly, and Bloom continued to try and talk, her voice muffled by Musa's hand.

"Ok. Meet us in front of Cloud Tower." Lucy smirked, before hanging up, her smirk radiating how much fun she was having with the idea of crashing an exhibition held by heroes, who bragged about fighting skills far too often for Lucy's taste. "I'm getting the rest of my friends, this is going to be so much fun." Lucy drifted out of the room, setting Stella's phone down on the make-up table.

Stella shook her head with a smile, wondering how large of a mess she had gotten herself into.

* * *

"Those pixies should know better than to make a witch wait." Raven commented, scowling as she glanced down the path into the woods, her amethyst colored eyes brimming with annoyance. Raven had her arms crossed over her chest, her multiple-shaded purple hair tied in a half-up down hairstyle and small tendrils stark against her pale skin. Stella eyed her but couldn't disguise her own annoyance as she checked her watch, she knew that the girls had to find a way to get to Cloud Tower, which would be easier with only a few teachers there. The rest of the teachers were most likely at the exhibition.

Cerise tugged at the zipper of her bright-red jacket, the hood covering her and black, silver-streaked hair. "Can they just hurry the hell up? We don't have all day." She eyed the empty pathway, her gaze scanning and scrutinizing every details of the dark forest in front of them. Stella tapped her wrist impatiently, she had opted to wear her hair in soft waves down her back and could feel the strands of hair move with the wind.

"Why are we even waiting for the pixies? I never offered to help them." Regina sneered, her dark brown, almost black eyes flashing with red energy. Stella breathed a sigh of relief when the girls flew over, landing in front of them before detransforming. "Finally. Took you long enough." Regina's eyes were watching their glittery forms and looked relieved to see less glitter, but not so much with the bright colors that contrasted greatly with the dark and ominous woods behind them.

"Sorry." Flora stated, her expression full of friendliness. "We had to get past Griselda." Stella nodded in understanding, Griselda was the uptight vice principal that watched every move someone made. It made sneaking out even more difficult.

Sneaking out at Cloud Tower was relatively easy with the lenient teachers, but when they got caught, well the detention dimension was something Stella wished she was never faced with. She had heard plenty of whispers about the realm, all of different punishments. "Right." Lucy drawled, "You must be the pixie at work on reversing the spell on Mirta. Have you made any progress yet?" She asked Flora, who sighed and shook her head with a dejected frown.

"You know it's a lot harder to reverse the spells of the Trix, than anything else. Remember Lucy." Morgan rolled her eyes, flashing Flora an understanding look.

"So, what's the plan?" Musa cut in, changing the subject. Her arms were folded across her chest and she eyed the witches with a challenging gleam in her dark blue eyes.

Regina waved her hand, a red cloud appearing around it before a potion appeared. "I've been working on a transportation potion, it's less traceable for security, we just have to time when we leave the room we appear in." She waved the sloshing, sparkling blue liquid inside the vial, some coating and lingering on the sides. "It might feel a little funny, but we'll be there in a few seconds flat." Regina handed the vial to Morgan.

Morgan eyed the vial, before uncapping it over the cobblestone of the entrance to Cloud tower. "It feels pretty safe to me." Stella could feel Morgan's magic cast out around her, her sense detailing exactly what was in the bottle. She conjured a few small plastic cups in front of her and poured the liquid in each one, before capping it and handing what remained back to Regina.

Lucy took one in her hand, smiling at the sparkly liquid. Stella grabbed one too and could see in her peripheral everyone else grab one, the fairies sharing uncertain looks and the witches smirking down at their cups or at the fairies. "Well. Bottoms up." Lucy said, raising the cup to her mouth and the rest of the girls did the same. Regina drank first and the rest of them soon followed.

Stella couldn't feel anything at first and Bloom frowned. "I don't feel anything-woah." Bloom exhaled as they were surrounded by a bright bluish-red light. Stella suddenly felt slightly funky, feeling the liquid slosh around in her stomach, but kept herself upright while Bloom and Flora keened over, their hands tight on their stomachs. The light grew brighter before she felt herself moving, and she blinked once before the light started to fade.

Glancing around the room, she realized they were in. Well not technically in the stands, but they were close enough. A maintenance closet laid in front of her.

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and I know that some of you are probably going to comment on how fast Stella 'forgave' Bloom, because she hasn't. She is still hurting because of Bloom, and the road to recovery is not going to be super easy, because they haven't fully come to terms with the incident. But they are willing to try, because in all relationships, we hurt each other, intentionally or not, and we try to forgive each other because we feel we deserve to have those people in our lives, because we love those people. The same can be said for Brandon and Stella, they care greatly for each other, but all is not fully forgiven, they're still on that road of recovery.**

 **I planned on getting to the exhibition, but then everything started to drag out and I realized that it would be better to include everything that was main in this arc in the next chapter. This chapter was kind of a filler chapter that is building up to the ending of the story, mainly building up to the exhibition and everything that follows.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

Revenge of the Trix

* * *

Chapter 8

* * *

Four guards, in a two-by-two formation, with specially equipped guns held diagonal against their dark gray chest plates walked past the door, their expressions as blank as an empty canvas. To Stella, each guard looked the same, same angular high-cheekbones of the Eracklyon realm and sun-kissed complexions. There were miniscule differences however, a freckle on one face but not the other, or green eyes and not blue. Stella crouched even further away from the door, trying to be swallowed by the darkness of the maintenance room.

They waited until the men were out of hearing range for Musa, before inching the door open. The squeaky hinges made the task difficult and nerve-wracking, but they managed to get outside the door. Stella quickly grabbed her invitation from her bag, Brandon had sent it over via magical-item-transport and she had been keeping it in her grasp forever. "There should be a clear path in between us and the group of people up front, it'll be easier to reach the event. Afterwards, we should be in the clear to reach Sky." Tecna reported, before frowning as she glanced at her phone.

"What is it Tecna?" Flora asked, her eyes nervous and she immediately began to glance around for a means of escape.

Tecna ran a hand down her face, showing her first sign of struggle, "I forgot to calculate for something in all the commotion." She sighed, "The seats, this is a high-end event and seating here has been laid out for months, maybe even a year, there will be no way we can manage to get seats for all of us." Her eyes landed on every member of their group.

Stella glanced back down at her invitation, if worse came to worse, she'd give it to Bloom, so that she could still get to Sky and watch him perform. "Oh, please, is that what's got you so worried, pixie?" Raven inquired, looking incredulous. "Us witches know the ins and outs of sneaking into social events, we've been doing it for years. There's always another way to watch one of Red Fountain's exhibitions."

Musa tilted her head to the side, curious. "Really? What?"

"We can just get a backstage look." Regina filled in, "But, unfortunately, we can't go the way you want to go Zenithian."

Tecna nodded, tapping a few things on her phone before the green holograph view they had of the layout changed, the red path they had to follow leading them in a separate direction. "It will be a bit harder to watch the show, but it will work. Afterwards is the only problem, Bloom might not be able to get to Sky quick enough, it would be easier to do so from the stadium since the heroes are supposed to go out there afterwards and not in our direction." She said.

Stella held up the gold, blue, red, and green invitation. "Bloom can take my seat. I can talk to Brandon sometime later, but if you don't reach Sky immediately, then he might be swamped with his parents." She pressed the piece of thick paper into Bloom's hands, ignoring Bloom's protest.

"Stella's right Bloom. Sky will be way too swamped afterwards to even see you. This might be your only chance. Take it." Flora encourage, putting a hand on Stella's shoulder. Bloom still looked uncertain, before determination cemented her features and she smiled.

Bloom opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by Musa raising her hand. "Time to split up, we've got approaching footsteps coming from behind." She pointed to where they had been walking from.

Morgan nodded, her eyes lit up with blue fire. Stella could feel the wave of Morgan's senses travel through her, making her nerves tingle. "Six security guards." Morgan said. "I can't get a good read on where exactly their headed, but we might need to hide somewhere before we take the path to backstage." She said, the blue fire dimming, turning her eyes back to their normal dark brown.

"Ok, be safe girls." Bloom cast a meaningful glance around the group, even glancing at the witches she hardly knew.

Lucy smirked, "So glad you care so much." She commented, to which Bloom rolled her eyes before walking down the hallway.

"Follow the crowd Bloom. It'll show you where to go." Tecna said and Bloom turned with a small smile before continuing. Stella watched the tips of her red hair disappear around a corner before they moved, hurrying down the hallway to their left. Even though she knew that it had been a good thing to do, giving Bloom the invitation, she still felt a little upset about it. She had really wanted to have a good view of seeing Brandon during the show. Sighing, she continued to follow the rest of the girls, falling into step beside Raven.

"You're pretty loyal to the pixies, aren't you?" Stella half-expected Raven to be looking at her with disgust, instead she got only curiosity shining in Raven's amethyst-colored eyes. "But you want to be a witch. It makes me wonder why Griffon keeps you around, even though your father doesn't pay for you to attend anymore."

Stella surveyed the girl in front of her, the pale skin and high cheekbones and the dark tattoo peeking out of her sleeves, the small ends of a feather dipped in purple. "How did you know that?"

Raven waved a dismissive hand. "Everyone knows he disowned you. It's not that hard to guess that he would withdraw his money immediately afterwards."

"He didn't disown me. I renounced my throne." Stella corrected after a minute of silence. "Look, the only reason Headmistress Griffon keeps me around is because she sees that I might have influences, which will help with giving witches more rights and freedoms without being accused of evil."

"You want to be a revolutionary." Raven stared at her, looking shocked. "And here I thought you were here for a phase, but you're here because you want to help."

Cerise glanced behind them, falling into step beside Raven. "If you want to help us. Then you have to understand us." She said, eyes gold and glowing in the dim lighting of the Red Fountain school hallway. "Understand that we don't have riches, we don't have titles, and we don't have easy lives. Magix has been cruel to us, our entire lives, forcing us down paths that we might not have choose in another life. We're thieves and crooks, and we're selfish as hell." Cerise stuffed her hands in the pockets of her bright red hoodie.

"You also have to understand that we watch out for each other. We can say we hate each other, but when it boils down to it, we'll help each other at the end of the day." Raven said, a smirk carving into her lips. "Now, you know, not everything is black and white, not every fairy has a golden heart. Not every witch has evil intentions. We've all got different blueprints that make us who we are, that make us different."

Stella watched both girls walk ahead of her, leaving her in the dust of their words, being a magical being wasn't just one thing or another, it was many things, blending into each other, intertwining in patterns that can change and grow. She glanced behind her, watching the shadows of the high sun illuminate the hallway, before glancing back towards the group in front of her. Neither witch or fairy looked that different.

"You ok?" Flora glanced behind her, her eyes showing warmth and kindness.

Stella smiled back at her. "I'm great." She said, before rolling her eyes and catching up with the rest of the girls. She slid her gaze to the witches momentarily, maybe she had felt judged at the beginning of the year by her peers. But, she had been judging them too, distancing herself from them and their world even if she claimed to be one of them. Glancing back in front of her, she resisted the urge to look behind her, where the past lay in taunting whispers.

* * *

The view in between the door crack wasn't the greatest, the rooms they had searched had very little windows and Lucy, Cerise, Raven, Regina, and Morgan had immediately claimed the large window in one of the rooms they had found. Stella sighed, that had left the rest of them to stick with the door since they didn't want to be too far apart, in case they needed to transport back immediately. Stella crouched lower, feeling her legs burn with the weird position she had gotten into to get a better look.

She could see the dragons in the door crack, glimpses of them soaring in the bright-blue sky. Wings of varying shades and colors spreading wide behind the white scaled creatures, their riders wisps of blue and white. Inching the door further open, they tried to remain as silent as possible and as unnoticeable as possible. "Wow, this view is incredible." Lucy bragged, tossing them a taunting smirk.

"Oh, I'm sure the view of that dirt smudge is to die-for." Stella shot back, chuckling at the dirt smudge that was smeared across the mirror, covering some parts of their view. Stella glanced back in front of her, she can see the boys skidding past. Sky, Riven, and Brandon on their levi-bikes, she inched closer, peeking further out, her breath hitching as she watches one bike crash into another. Unknowingly, she releases a sigh of relief at seeing that it wasn't Brandon that had been knocked over, but she can hear Musa's breath become slightly strangled when they see that Riven is the one who knocked him over.

Even if he was under a spell, the malice in his dark scowl is haunting even from afar.

The three exchange words for a minute, Sky rubbing his shoulder tenderly from the fall, his expression pinched in slight pain. "Jesus, Darcy's really got him enthralled." Raven commented, and Stella chanced a glance at her, she is watching the boys with a small frown. "I would feel bad for him, you know, if he wasn't such an ass hole beforehand."

"Even if he was an ass. He doesn't deserve that." Flora spoke up in Riven's defense. "Besides, the guys told us about him last year, he wasn't like this. Even his and Sky's rivalry would not mean Riven purposefully trying to hurt him like that."

Stella couldn't help but agree, if the headmaster wasn't suspicious about Riven's behavior before, he would be now, especially from the drastic change in the guy's attitude. "The boys are about to get on the dragons." She changed the subject, resisting the urge to shift uncomfortably.

Her eyes remained on Brandon, watching as he climbed easily onto one of the white scaled dragons with deep green wings. She saw his face swivel towards the crowd, scanning around and she felt a hopeful pang in her heart. Closing her eyes, she hoped that he would look in her direction, know that she did come for him. Know that she cared enough to show, and she opened her eyes to see the disappointment flash across his face as he took his dragon into flight.

 _I'm here. I'm here, Brandon. I'll always be here._ Stella bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, the coppery taste washing down her throat. Sucking in another breath, she pushed her face further out, feeling only slightly emboldened by the fact that no one was looking in their direction. Every face was pointed up at the show, and Stella took a minute to scan the crowd. Elaborate garments and people of the higher social chain were scattered around the event, but there was no sign of Bloom's red hair, but maybe Stella couldn't see her face amongst the millions of faces.

Stella mentally huffed, she had given up her invitation for Bloom to be here and now Bloom was nowhere to be found in the crowd.

A gasp echoed through the crowd and she glanced back up at the show, a familiar blue boomerang flew outwards, almost nicking another rider before being caught by Sky. "Is he seriously starting a fight with Riven in the middle of an exhibition?" Flora asked, looking somewhat concerned along with being surprised. Sky had never been so easily angered about anything Riven said or did, briefly she wondered if maybe Darcy's magic was having side-affects, pooling outwards like a bad smell.

"I don't blame him. Riven's an ass." Musa said, shaking her head as she watched Riven's dragon dive for Sky's dragon. "I'm sure plenty of people have thought about doing worse to him because of his attitude."

Tecna patted her shoulder before she dropped her hand back to her side. Another dragon launched into the air, with Codatorta on the saddle, and moved in between the fighting dragons, causing the almost-battle to stall to an almost-complete stop. Codatorta flung a black whip outward and snapped it towards the dragons' noses, making them back away. Stella winced, knowing that the boys would be receiving an even more serious lecture on discipline before the night was over.

"Whoa. What was that?" Flora asked, pulling away from the huddle by the door. Stella opened her mouth to ask what she was talking about but before she could a loud boom echoed through the silent arena, an earthquake following soon after. Stella dropped to her knees, feeling the ground shake beneath her fingers and the strong wave of raw magic following after that. It was intense, but an intensity she had felt before. In Gardenia. With Bloom.

"That was crazy-intense." Musa stood up, using the wall for support, she had slid down the wall during the second-long commotion.

Yells echoed through the crack in the doorway, making Musa wince for a minute before she flung the door open. Stella felt her jaw go slack as she pushed to the edge of the doorway, no one's eyes were on them though, their gazes were trained on the two fairies fluttering in the air, fighting each other. Bloom and Diaspro. She had met Diaspro before, at one of the many social events they had attended together, the girl was quiet, if not a bit stuck-up, but Stella had no idea what the snobby princess was doing here, fighting Bloom of all people.

"What the hell is going on?" Raven yelled over the sound, looking thoroughly confused, but not at all worried. If anything, her, Cerise, Morgan, Regina, and Lucy looked amused by the fact that two pixies were fighting, interrupting one of Red Fountain's prized events.

Stella folded her arms across her chest, "I gave Bloom the invitation to sit in a _seat_ at the exhibition, not burst out in the middle of the exhibition via the _ground_." She only felt slightly offended by the fact that Bloom had not used her invitation and instead chose to pick a fight with the princess of gems. Her gaze traveled downwards, towards the ground where both Griffon and Faragonda were standing up, both wearing expressions of displeasure while Saladin looked like a mixture of pissed and tired.

"What is Bloom thinking?" Tecna fumed, "We could get kicked out of Alfea for sneaking into, not to mention, _interrupting_ , such a high-class event."

Diaspro's gem circled around her before firing off large blasts of energy, one Bloom dodged by fluttering downwards, before her wings fluttered heavily and she sped upwards, using a shield to block the rest of the spells. Bloom lifted her hand, fire burning around her fist, before she flung several fire-fueled attacks at the gems, destroying most of them. "You're crazy!" Diaspro screamed, her voice louder than the yells as they fluttered just above the arena.

The look on Bloom's face was full of pure hatred, before she pushed her hands together, conjuring a large fireball before launching it at Diaspro, flinging the bleach blonde out of air and landing harshly on the ground with a loud thud. "Holy crap. Get up. Get up. Get up." Stella muttered to herself, if Bloom severely injured the girl, there was no way she was going to not get serious charges from Isis.

Diaspro shakily lifted herself up and Stella breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing that Bloom wouldn't be able to forgive herself once she came down from the high of anger. Stella stepped outside of the door, watching as Sky leaped off his dragon and ran towards Diaspro, which seemed to snap Bloom out of her funk and surprise and shock, along with guilt, painted itself across her face. She looked confused and lost and stumbled backwards as if she had been slapped.

Stella speedily walked over to them, followed by the rest of the girls, including the witches that had assisted them into getting in. "Sky?" Bloom asked, looking like she had swallowed a shard of ice as Diaspro wrapped her arms around Sky. Stella stopped dead in her tracks, taken off guard by the fact that Sky was with Diaspro, even though the embrace had only lasted a second since Sky shoved her away.

"What the hell is the matter with you? This is the man I'm going to marry!" Stunned, Stella wrapped her arms around her midsection, feeling like she was going to throw up. Bloom looked even worse, her face deathly pale as she looked back and forth between Sky and Diaspro, eyes watering with tears.

"Bloom, wait, I can explain-" Sky pushed past Diaspro. Stella couldn't see his face, but she saw Diaspro's expression, one of surprise and shock before it melted into hatred and hurt, directed solely at Sky and Bloom.

"Get away from her, Prince Sky of Eracklyon." Stella strode past him, tucking Bloom into her side. Sky looked crestfallen, like a beaten-down dog and Stella almost relented at the look on his face, but steeled herself in her resolve. She could care less that everyone in the arena was silent and seemed like they were waiting for some sort of reason for this to arise, their eyes, hundreds-if not millions-of eyes trained on them.

Bloom leaned against Stella, squeezing her eyes shut as tears cascaded down her face. "Y-You're getting married. You have a girlfriend-a fiancé. How could you not tell me? How could you lead me on? I-I thought you were single. I t-thought it was a trick, but it wasn't. Y-Y-You lied to me. How could you lie to me?" Stella felt her heart break for her friend, pushing aside her pissed off feelings that if Bloom had maybe addressed this later, it could have saved a lot of trouble.

She couldn't even imagine how she would react in the same type of situation, so she couldn't fault Bloom for how she went about it.

"What?" Diaspro looked stunned, "Sky, did you cheat on me with this-this lowlife, Earthen girl?" Her eyes darkened and she curled her lip downwards. "Sky, we're supposed to get married. The king and queen of Eracklyon and you cheated on me." Diaspro shook her head, an almost mad-glint in her eye. "This has to be a fluke right, we're still young, we can get past this and get married in two years, and become the king and queen of Eracklyon."

Sky looked torn, glancing back and forth between Bloom's depressed, heart-broken face and Diaspro's pissed, mad-glint-in-her-eye face. His gaze settled on Bloom and he took a step closer to them, a step away from Diaspro. Stella backed herself and Bloom away, holding Bloom closely and warning him away with a death glare. "Don't Sky. Don't try to explain this right now, not here. Not now. We'll let you know when we're ready to listen, but you need to leave Bloom alone." Stella held a hand up, halting him in his tracks.

"Bloom I-" Sky never got to finish, before Diaspro dragged him away and the uproar in the crowd brought Stella back to speed on everything that happened. She glanced up at the crowd, spotting the furious expression in Griffon's eyes immediately. _Oh shit_ , she thought, _we're so busted_.

* * *

"Not only did you six break into the Red Fountain exhibition without a ticket, but you all got caught. As a witch practicing dark magic, you should know better than to run out and get caught in places you shouldn't be, especially with pixies-" Headmistress Griffon paused momentarily, her face twisting in a hateful scowl. Stella shrunk away from the withering glare printed across the older woman's face. "-you're all very lucky that Headmaster Saladin decided not to press charges on all of the destruction you did on his stadium."

Lucy stepped forward, "But we didn't-"

Griffon held a hand up, her eyes flashing. "Silence!" She yelled. "Did I say you could speak!? You all will be spending the rest of the year in detention, everyday, after school and on the weekends, you will be spending all day there. I should have you all expelled, but I have decided that since you all are quite valuable to the school, that you will serve out your punishment elsewhere."

Stella knew that she was going to get expelled, knew that she wasn't going to be welcome back next year, but she couldn't let the other girls get expelled because of her stupid loyalty to her pixie friends. So, she pushed herself forward, knowing that Griffon would not hesitate to expel her, she was a dropout pixie with no source of money to her name, other than the cheap job at the library, which hardly counted. "It was all my fault Headmistress Griffon. I forced them to come with me, they shouldn't be punished for something I did. I accept full responsibility for this."

Griffon looked momentarily stunned before she stood up, her hands clasped together in front of her. "Very well then Stella Renee, you are hereby expelled for Cloud Tower and I want you off my school grounds immediately." The other girls started to protest and Stella felt like crying, like curling up into a ball and crying her heart out, but she bit her lip and shoved the thought away. She wasn't going to cry and beg for Griffon to take it back, she knew she deserved it. "All of you! Out of my office!" Griffon pointed to the door, sealing Stella's fate.

* * *

"What the hell were you thinking?" Lucy slammed the door open, looking pissed. She stalked into the room, Regina, Raven, Cerise, and Morgan following after her, each with varying looks on their faces. A ghost of a smile flittered across Stella's face as she folded one of her shirts and placed it in her suitcase. She didn't have any plans of where to go, maybe a cheap hotel or motel for the night and from there, well, she had no idea. "Everything was going fine. No one was going to be expelled and then you decided to be a fucking martyr so that we wouldn't face punishment for something we _all_ did."

Stella ignored her, grabbing another shirt off a hangar and folding it as well before piling it on top of another in her suitcase. She had only just started when Lucy had barged in and after she had chucked her phone on the table, ignoring the onslaught of messages she was receiving from her other friends. A bitter smile crossed her lips at the thought, she was doing a hell of a lot of ignoring today, before it faded as she realized that she still had nowhere to go.

She wouldn't go back to Solaria, even if she was dying. It would mean letting her father win and she was too stubborn to go back to him and his prejudice views. "Look, Stella. We appreciate it, but you shouldn't have done that." Morgan sat down on her bed, beside her and the suitcase. Her eyes were blazing and brilliant and Stella had a feeling that Morgan had cast her sense out to get a feel of Stella's emotions.

"I wasn't just going to let you guys get in trouble for me being friends with pixies. It's out of the question." Stella finally said, after folding in several more of her shirts, she might need to sell a few, now that she was thinking about, but she pocketed that thought for another day.

"Sure, we would have been pissed at you and snidely blaming you for a while, but still, we didn't want you to do something as stupid as get expelled for us, we're semi-friends and now you don't have anywhere to go because you were an idiot." Regina crossed her arms, her expression set in a scowl. "I don't need that shit on my conscious."

Stella felt her lips tilt in amusement, before she sighed. "What do you want me to do? Go back to Mrs. Griffon and beg her to take me back, that it was all of our ideas. Who's to say she would've even believed us?" She opened a drawer, fighting a groan at just how many clothes she owned, she needed to lay back on the shopping, she would never get anything done if she didn't. A part of her wanted to use her magic, but she needed to be able to live without her magic providing her everything, she needed to be able to do this on her own. "Besides I wouldn't want our friendship to be based on me getting us in serious trouble, it would lead to resentment later on."

The girls were silent for a minute as they either sat down or leaned against the wall. "So, what are you going to do?" Cerise finally asked, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her large red hoodie.

"No idea." Stella shrugged, "I'll figure something out, I think."

Lucy threw her hands up in exasperation, "Of course you're going to wing it." A half-smile tugged at her lips.

Stella winked in response. "Are you going to go see your parents?" Raven asked, lifting an eyebrow as she swiveled around in the desk chair, eyeing Stella as she moved from her dresser to her bed, holding a load of clothing. Stella shook her head, her mood dimming somewhat, she didn't want to see her parents and have them expect her to want to become a fairy again and agree to an arranged marriage.

"It's not about me being stubborn and proud, well not entirely, but my parents want me to be in an arranged marriage with a complete stranger." Stella ran a hand through her hair, frustrated, if maybe her parents hadn't dropped that bomb, she might have gone back, but they did. "I just, I don't want to end up like them, living in separate castles and getting a divorce. I would want to raise a child in that kind of environment, always wondering if love really did exist."

Morgan wrinkled her nose. "Eww, you're being all lovey and cheery and pixie-like. Stop." She pretended to gag and Stella swatted at her.

"Says the girl who can't stop talking about Cal." Regina snorted. Morgan frowned in response and plucked a pillow from the bed before lugging it at Regina, hitting the black-haired girl in the face.

"I'm not the one obsessed with a hero." Morgan snarked and Regina glared.

Stella raised a hand. "I take offense to that too."

"Shut up." Both Regina and Morgan turned to look at her, their eyes glowing red and blue respectively. Stella held her hands up in surrender before she continued packing, the girls talking around her and sometimes her piping into the conversation until she had everything ready to go and it was past the time for her to be kicked off school property. A pang of sadness entered her heart as she lugged her suitcases behind her, this would be the last time she walked the winding halls of the school.

The last time she would have something that felt like home in a long, long time.

* * *

Taking a long sip from her coffee, Stella let her eyes wander around the restaurant, she had taken on a second job as a waitress along with her job at the library. Money wasn't pouring in or anything and she had sold some of her clothes already, but she was making progress, she supposed. So far, she was exhausted, thank the dragon she had her daily dose of caffeine, otherwise, she would have dropped dead in the middle of one of her shifts. The only plus was that she was given a twenty-minute break due to how slow everything was with students being in school and adults at work.

Between everything, she hadn't had the time to really answer any of her messages. That and the fact that she had switched to a different, cheaper phone plan on the second day after the month for her phone plan was up. So, some messages came in and others didn't and it was overall frustrating when it took hours, maybe even a day or two, to receive a message. Stella rubbed her temple in between her pointer finger and thumb, so ready for the day to be over so she could crash at the cheap hotel room she was staying in.

The bell above the door jingled, announcing another arrival and Stella sighed, wishing her break could last just a little bit longer, but it couldn't. Giving her cup of coffee one last glance, she placed it behind the counter and plastered on a smile. A family had waltzed in and already the parents were trying to settle down their toddler into a booth, but the little girl kept lifting her short legs high enough to kick underneath the table and she was all bouncy with pure, unfiltered excitement. Stella plucked two regular menus and a kids' menu from their designated area and walked over to their booth.

If the parents recognized her, they said nothing, accepting their menus without making any hand contact with her. The mom also took the kid's menu and presented it to their daughter, the little girl, oblivious, smiled toothily at Stella. "Hello." She waved, her hand movement a blur. "I'm so excited for the today, we get to go to the amusement park." Her excitement was contagious and Stella smiled.

She missed those days, where there were no worries and stresses and panic.

"Can we have a minute to order?" The man inquired, browsing through his menu before peeking over and making faces at the little girl. Stella nodded, slipping away and back to the counter, but her gaze lingered on the family, in their cozy little bubble.

Leaning against the counter, she bit her lip, her eyes unfocused as she stared at the family. It was probably creepy, but she couldn't help it, it was like a slap in the face with everything she didn't have, would probably never have unless she was able to fall in love and make a family of her own-unlikely. The chances of any of that happening were slim, the one person she could even remotely see a future with had lied to her-well, not really lied to her-but had encouraged his best friend to lie to her best friend and make Bloom think Sky was available.

Stella ran a hand down her face, her thoughts swarming with everything that had happened at the festival, how the ground had moved beneath her feet, the pure anger and betrayal on Bloom's face, and the guilt in Sky's eyes. Closing her eyes shut tightly, she dug her nails into her arm, counting inside her head. She didn't want to think about Brandon and Sky and Bloom, she just wanted to focus on getting herself afloat due to the heavily blurred future laying in front of her.

"Stella." Stella forced her eyes open, temporarily panicked that she would get fired for slacking on the job. Glancing around for who said her name, a pang struck her heart. It wasn't Brandon or Sky or Flora or even Bloom. It was Musa, the musical pixie from Melody that Bloom had befriended, her dark blue-almost black-hair tied into two twin tails that were high on her head and split evenly, bangs splayed across her forehead. Awkwardly, Musa had her hands shoved in her pockets and a nervous look in her jumping deep, navy blue eyes.

Stella gestured for Musa to sit down at the bar type thing, it wasn't really a bar since they didn't serve mixed drinks on it and anyone could sit on it. "Musa, what are you doing here? I thought today was a school day." Stella plucked a menu from the stand and handed it to the bluenette, she didn't think today was a school day-she knew it was since she had texted Lucy sporadically the night before.

Musa placed the menu flat on the bar, pushing a finger against her lips, "You can't tell anyone I was here, ok?" She rubbed her temple in between her thumb and pointer finger, "Dragon, Mrs. F is going to kill me." Musa muttered to herself before straightening her posture. "I need your help."

Stella sighed, "Last time I helped a pixie, I was expelled from Cloud Tower, so unless you have a good enough reason-which you don't-then I suggest you leave."

Musa winced, slouching slightly in her seat. "Look, I know we're the _last_ people you want to help, much less talk to, but we really need it." Musa crossed her arms over her chest, almost folding in on herself. "Bloom's gone, we think she might have gone back to Earth, I think it was in a place called Gardenia, whatever that is, but you know where she lived so maybe you could take us there." Musa looked worried, "I mean, maybe Earth is the safest place, but I don't know, with the Trix still out there, I don't want her to put herself and anyone else there in danger."

Stella's eyes widened, in the midst of everything, she had almost forgotten about the Trix and their schemes. Bloom going back to Earth was probably the dumbest thing the red head could have possibly done because, unlike the rest of the Magical Universe, Earth was non-magical and therefore no one knew about the Trix. "When did she leave?"

"Yesterday, I think. I'm not entirely sure the time, all I know is that we were all in the common room-other than Bloom, of course-after we got our punishment from Faragonda and Griselda, and then when Flora went into their room, Bloom was gone with all of her stuff." Musa rubbed one arm with the knuckles of her opposite hand.

Stella dropped her head into her hands, rubbing her forehead against the heated palms of her hands. She glanced through her hands at the happy little family, the dad catching her eye and waving her over so they could order. "Sorry, I'll be right back." Stella muttered, low enough so that only Musa could hear her, supersonic hearing and all. She copied down the family's order, plastered a smile on her face when the little girl spoke before giving the order to the chef and heading back over to Musa.

Musa was drumming her fingers on the counter at her own beat, humming slightly, but her hum was nervous and shaking, like someone on stage who had massive stage fright. "So, are you gonna help, or not?" Musa glanced up at her, looking slightly impatient.

Stella glared, "Unlike you, I can't afford to skip my job. I'm a disowned princess, in case you've forgotten." Stella snarked bitterly, she couldn't afford to drop everything for Bloom if she wanted to actually make a living. "I'm also, apparently, a delinquent student who got expelled from Cloud Tower, a very prestigious school, so forgive me for not dropping everything for Bloom, who hasn't always been the best friend to me."

Musa lifted her hands in surrender. "I get it, I really do. What Bloom did was massively fucked up and if I were you, I probably wouldn't want to have anything to do with her after all the shit she has pulled." Musa looked briefly angry too, and Stella had a feeling she wouldn't be the only one who would line up to slap Bloom once they saw her, the mental image was somewhat hilarious, them forming a slapping line for Bloom. "But Bloom is only a magical, we all are, we're not perfect and we make mistakes, some people more so than others, and Bloom does not deserve to be left on her own on Earth, ignoring her powers that could cause some serious damage if unchecked."

Stella could concede to that point, she flicked her hair. "I never said I wouldn't help, just that we might need to wait until my shifts over." She lifted an eyebrow. "And don't you need to get the rest of your pixie crew."

Musa scowled, "I would scold you for calling us pixies, but I'm not going to bother." She stood up, sliding the menu back to Stella. "So, when do you get off?"

"Six-thirty, but you should probably come to the Magico Motel at seven." Stella slid her gaze to the clock, and Musa nodded, before spinning on her heel and leaving. Stella watched the door shut behind her, wondering if she was making another mistake by helping the pixies again. Wasn't it the definition of insanity to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result each time?

* * *

Running a brush through her damp hair, Stella winced at the sheer number of knots in her hair, she hadn't had the time to keep her hair in pristine order so every spare moment was a little luxury. After finishing her shift, she had hopped the bus to the motel, took a five-minute shower under scalding-hot water and gotten dressed, all before 7:00. The semi-luxury of not living so far away from the restaurant, it was only a few stops away and she only had a ten-minute bus ride on most days. Pacing in a circle, Stella finished brushing her hair before placing it in a bag and zipping the bag closed, flinging it on the unoccupied second bed in the room.

The room was by no-means perfect with peeling and chipping away paint with glops of 'touch-ups' in certain places and springy, noisy beds and water that was always either too hot or too cold. The fridge, at least worked, but it was small and cramped underneath a desk with a T.V. situated on top, all wires showing. The motel was way outdated, reminiscent of some Earthen technology, but with small hints of the newer technology, such as the electricity and the lock system by the door.

Stella rubbed her hands against her black ripped jeans, adjusting the orange flannel she had stuck on over top of a black tank-top. She had grabbed a pair of trusty shoes and was now waiting for the pixies to show up. Glancing over at the clock once again, she sighed, _7:08_ , they were late, and she was tired and the bed was really looking tempting right now. Chewing on her lower lip, she began pacing in a circle, trying to keep herself awake, she should have ordered a coffee to go, but she had been too busy rushing to the Motel to stop and think.

Now she regretted it.

Running a hand through her hair, she kept glancing at the ticking clock. _One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds. F-_

A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts and Stella peeked through the camera showing the outdoors, seeing the girls on the other side of the door, wearing their summer clothes. Stella unlocked the door and pulled it open, "What took you so long?" She narrowed her eyes at them, holding the door wider for them all to get in.

Musa glared right back at her. "We would have been here on time if you had told us which room you were staying in." She huffed, looking briefly irritated.

Stella bit back a laugh. "Are you telling me you knocked on every door here?" She really tried not to laugh, but chuckles escaped her mouth and Musa looked briefly disgusted, "Do I even want to know whose door you knocked on and what you saw-slash-heard?"

Tecna shook her head, "No, you really don't." She grimaced while Flora looked suspiciously pale. "Anyways, we didn't knock on every door, just 53 doors, yours included." She corrected and Stella rolled her eyes, waving away the numbers as if they were an annoying fly, she didn't really care how many doors they knocked on, just what they might have seen/heard was enough to be hilarious.

"Ok, so, are you girls ready to head over to Gardenia?" Stella put her hands on her hips after locking the door and engaging the lock system.

"No, we just showed up here because we wanted to have a freaking tea party." Musa muttered, sarcasm dripping from her words while Flora elbowed her in the ribs, giving her a look that silenced Musa's protest at being elbowed. "Ok, yes, oh great one, we're ready." The musical pixie mockingly bowed.

Flora face-palmed, before whacking her on the back of the head. "Let's just get going and not a comment out of you Musa." She scolded, her hands firmly planted on her hips.

Stella whistled. "Jeeze, you're like the mother of the group, shrink."

"Well, someone's got to be the mature one, trouble." Flora fired back, a small smile carving into her lips before she sighed and rubbed her temples. "So, fire up that portal, trouble."

"Quick question, are we going to be forming a slapping line for Bloom?" Stella raised her hand, "Because I could seriously slap Bloom for her stunts in the past week."

"I'm in." Musa raised a hand too, a mischievous smile on her face.

Flora rolled her eyes, "We are not going to be forming a slapping line." She ignored Stella and Musa's protests, giving them a look. "Now, get that portal ready, trouble, unless you have anymore stupid questions." Flora lifted an eyebrow, partially challenging and partially exhausted.

Stella bit her lip, trying to not smile, but her lips curved upwards anyways. She went to a blank wall of her room, after using her magic to move the T.V. out of the way, unplugging it in the process but she couldn't care less. Tecna helped her move the stand out of the way as well, purple sparkles moving the stand to a corner of the room and placing the T.V. on top. Stella closed her eyes, picturing Bloom's living room to the best of her ability. The picture frames on the shelves, the soft carpet underneath her feet, and the homey, apple-cinnamon smell attached to the room.

Once she had a clear image of the room in her mind's eye, Stella opened her eyes, waving her hands in front of her with a low incantation rising to her throat. An orange orb glowed in her fingers before she launched it to the wall and a medium-sized window opened, the other side outlined in an orange glow of Bloom's living room from the last time Stella had seen it.

Immediately, she tipped backwards, physically drained from everything that she had piled on herself that week. Musa and Flora steadied her, hooking their arms around hers while Tecna stood in front of the portal, analyzing it. "It's so dated, I've never seen anything quite like it." Tecna rubbed her chin thoughtfully, glancing over her shoulder, checking with her eyes that everyone was ready to go before she stepped through the portal.

"You ok?" Flora asked, her eyes swimming with worries. _Are you ok to come with us? Are you going to be ok? Do you need anything?_ Her eyes asked, pelting the questions at Stella with a caring force that was so like Flora.

Stella waved her concern away. "I'll be fine, let's go." She moved one hand in the forward gesture, surprised when Tecna poked her head back through the portal, her worry and surprise evident in her eyes while her face began to show the first signs of true, emotional fear. "What's wrong, Tecna?" Stella asked, moving to stand on her own, both Musa and Flora remaining behind her, in case she had a dizzy spell and felt like she couldn't handle the multi-dimensional travel.

Tecna's voice had a warble to it when she spoke, which surprised Stella. "You might want to come see this."

Stella felt worried, something Tecna had seen had caused such an emotional reaction from a pixie from the realm where only logic and technology existed, where emotions were somewhat foreign and unnecessary attributes of life. She inhaled and exhaled, trying to ease the fluttering of the butterflies in her stomach, before she stepped forward, walking through the portal, keeping her eyes open when a bright light flashed across her vision, making her see stars.

When her vision adjusted, she couldn't keep in the horrified gasp that escaped her lips, stepping backwards, even when the portal zipped closed behind them.

* * *

 **I'm so sorry for the long-wait, I've really got no excuse other than the fact that I just have so many freaking story ideas, I can't get one to stay straight, especially with all of the fandoms I like. I do have this one idea for a Shadowhunter/Winx Club crossover type thing, but I'm not so sure about it. There's one route I could go by putting the Winx in the Shadow world in place of Jace, Clary, Simon, Izzy, Alec, and Magnus (among other characters). Or the other route where I make the worlds collide but it might be before the time of the Winx, like with Oritel and Marion (Her name is so difficult by the way, is it Marion, Marian, or Mariam?). I'm just not sure what to do and I think I'm just rambling about potential stuff.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

The Battle for Magix

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

Ice covered one wall of Bloom's living room, shards tearing at the pictures and pulling screws from the wall so that the shelves were vertical, everything on them discarded in a heap on the floor. Picture frames were shattered, small pieces of glass embedded in the carpet. Stella carefully maneuvered around the shards, feeling one crunch underneath the heel of the boot on her right foot. Goosebumps traveled over her skin, and she shivered, teeth chattering together as she surveyed the now-melting ice shards.

Tilting her head to one side, she lifted a finger to poke the ice, checking to see that it was in fact real-ice and not a figment of her imagination. Instantly, she pulled her finger back, tucking it into the waistband of her pants to warm up the frozen finger.

Stella sighed, glancing down at Bloom, who lay in an unconscious heap of old clothes on the floor, her arms shielding her face and a lone trail of crimson liquid on one shoulder, staining one of the sleeves of a horrendous (pixie) crop top she was wearing. "Is she ok?" Musa finally piped up, rocking back on her heels, hands shoved in the pockets of an old, boot-cut pair of jeans she was wearing.

"She'll be fine, she just needs a bit of warming up." Tecna said, after scanning Bloom with one of her technical gadgets. Stella rolled her eyes at the pointed look Tecna gave her, crouching down so that her knees brushed the floor and holding her hands out to steady herself. She fished through her memory, trying to remember a healing incantation or rune that might help, before finally settling on tracing a rune on Bloom's skin, chanting a few words underneath her breath as she did so and picturing the effect of the rune.

It was elementary, a simple spell that anyone could cast, witch or fairy, but it was helpful that most of Stella's energy came from light, a source of heat in the universe. Other pieces of magic might be helpful, but the extent would be just less.

"Bloom. Bloom, can you hear me?" Flora placed two hands on either side of Bloom's face. Bloom's eyelashes fluttered against her pale cheeks, melted droplets of ice trailing down her face and a red splotch bright against her neck where it faded into her shirt. Stella worried at her lip, backing away slightly and meeting eyes with Bloom's adopted mom and dad, they were holding each other, like they were the glue that could keep the other together.

"You know, this might be a good time to slap her." Musa said, raising her hands in surrender at the exasperated look Flora sent to her. "What?" Her tone became innocent, "It might wake her up."

Stella bit back a smile, before turning her attention to the ice covering the wall, the melted ice causing a pool to form at the wall, destroying parts of the carpet. Holding her hands out, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her own solar energy, she pressed both hands against the wall, feeling the cold seep into her bones. When she opened her eyes again, most of the ice had been melted, but was still pooling on the carpet and surrounding them all in a puddle. "Tecna, can you do something about this?" Stella gestured to the water-damage, semi-exhausted from all the spells and work she had done already.

If she had the chance, she probably would have crashed, but she had to remain firm and able to stand on her own two feet, even though she wanted nothing more than to curl up into a tiny, little ball.

Tecna nodded her head, holding her hands out a net cast out from her fingertips and gathered all the water together, unsaturating the carpet and repairing it. Slowly, she lowered her hands, the net of water still maintaining itself in mid air and grabbed her phone before pressing the net into the phone and making it nothing more than an image. "Wow, that's really cool. Do you think you could do that to the Trix?" Musa rest an arm on Tecna's shoulder, peering at the picture.

Tecna shook her head, a smile on her lips. "I haven't mastered that yet and besides, it requires little to no fighting back. I doubt the Trix could sit still enough to be trapped in a picture on my phone." She looked proud of her picture but also determined to overachieve, to get better so that she could do that one day.

Bloom moved slightly at the mention of the Trix, her eyes fluttering open before she shot upright, a flash of pain and exhaustion marring her face-now flushed with feverish color. "The Trix." She gasped, and Flora quickly wrapped her arms around Bloom, who began to struggle and fight against the binds. "Oh no, they're back." Bloom's eyes were wild, her eyes cloudy and flickering everywhere as she kicked out against Flora.

"Healing nature." Flora muttered soothingly, glowing green and encasing Bloom in the glow as well. When the spell faded, Bloom stopped struggling, blinking so that her vision could adjust to the lighting. Her gaze was clear, and her eyes were steady, but tears trickled down her face and she fell back, curling in on herself. "Sweetie, it's ok. It's ok. You're safe. You're safe, we've got you." Flora said, rocking Bloom back and forth.

Stella inched closer, carefully maneuvering around the shards of broken glass, so that she could put a hand on Bloom's shoulder. Bloom's gaze snapped to her, her cyan blue eyes sad and miserable and drained, like a little bit of light and energy had been drained out of her. Stella felt fear grip her heart in a vice, puzzle pieces clinking together in her head as her stomach dropped and a sob worked its way up her throat.

She had seen people have their magic bound by teachers, so that they couldn't do anything, but she had never seen anything quite like this. Where the magical part of a magical was just gone, winked out of existence like it was never there, leaving behind hollow memories.

"By the dragon." Tecna breathed, arriving to the same conclusion that Stella arrived to, but she was much more calmer, much more put together. "Bloom, we need you to tell us everything that happened tonight. I know it's going to be painful, but you have to, ok?" Tecna's eyes searched Bloom's face, her skin looking paler than usual, and her lips parted.

Bloom stuttered for a moment, and her adoptive father walked over and wrapped his arms around her, not even sparing them all a glance. "It was the Trix. They followed me home, they attacked me." Bloom rubbed her neck, her eyes unfocused as she pieced together her memories. "T-They were so strong. They took my magic." Tears welled in her eyes and a sob tore out of Bloom's throat, ugly and raw and tortured.

Stella covered her mouth, not surprised, not even remotely shocked, but just so upset and devasted that something like this could just happen. That people could just take other's magic, which was like being tortured, like having a layer of skin peeled away, making someone vulnerable. "Oh no. I'm so sorry Bloom." Flora backed away slightly, allowing Bloom's father to take over comforting her.

"Dragon how could someone just do this. Something so fucked up. Dragon, this is so fucked up." Musa clenched her fists at her sides, gritting her teeth together. "We have to get them back, we have to stop them. We have to do something, we can't just let them get away with this." Musa began to pace, looking more and more like a caged animal. Stella slid her gaze to the musical pixie, before looking down at Bloom, who was staring at Musa unblinkingly, frozen.

"And we will." Tecna said, "We will get them back, I promise."

Bloom shook her head, "But we can't win. The trix, they-they told me something before they took my magic." She glanced down at her hand, curling it into a fist. "Well Icy told me, they're descendants of the Ancestral Witches, the ones who destroyed Domino." A medallion appeared in Bloom's hands, to the surprise of her adoptive parents. It took a minute for Stella to place the coat of arms on the front, but when she did, her heart froze in her chest as the ramifications of what the Trix had done slammed into her. "A-And I'm the lost princess of Domino. Daphne's my sister and my magic was the dragon flame."

Stella felt like she was going to throw up, her hands went to her stomach and she kneeled over, feeling sick and bone tired. The dragon flame stemmed from the great dragon, the very creator of the Magical Universe. "I thought the dragon flame was a myth." Musa looked astounded. "But y-y-you were the holder. By the Dragon, Bloom, you're a princess. Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit." Musa began to mutter under her breath, not completely understanding what it all meant.

Bloom gave a dry, self-deprecating laugh. "I guess so, it doesn't matter anymore, does it? The Trix are going to use my power to destroy everything. We might as well give up, there's no way we're going to win." Bloom said bitterly, inching away from her dad, who hesitantly let her go, her birthright clenched tightly in one hand.

"Don't say that Bloom." Flora frowned.

Bloom waved her hands around herself wildly, causing everyone to back away. "Look around you, this is what they did without the most powerful thing in the universe. They're going to bring hell to the Magic Dimension like that." She snapped her fingers. "There's no point in even trying, we're just going to lose anyways." Bloom sighed, sliding down the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Seriously? You're just going to say to hell with us Magicals because you're not one anymore. Seriously." Stella fumed, suddenly so angry with Bloom for just giving up, "Do you even care about any of us, because this isn't just you, we're talking about Bloom, this is all of us and you don't even want to help. You don't even want to try to get your magic back. You're just going to sit here, knowing that you could do something, anything, to fight for us, but you won't because you got your ass kicked."

Bloom stood up, her eyes flashing, but not in the magical way, in an almost normal, mundane way. "Do you think I enjoyed feeling like a layer of my skin was peeled away from me, like something I didn't even know I needed is gone. I don't. I'd give anything to have it back, but there's no way to because I lost. I lost and there's no way to win anymore. There's no point in even hoping to win."

Stella crossed her arms over her chest, knowing that Bloom's friends weren't incredibly happy with her for getting angry at Bloom, who just lost a part of herself, but she couldn't just sit idly by and watch her best friend circle the drain. "You know, when I went to Alfea. Miss. Faragonda taught us something. Do you want to know what she taught us?" Stella didn't wait for an answer. "She taught us that the good guys don't always win, they lose battles and they suffer, but the good guys always get back up to fight again, for the chance to save everyone."

Bloom went silent, her lips pursed together and her eyes suddenly tired and exhausted. She shuttered, closing her eyes tightly. "I just, I can't believe this all happened. I can't believe the Trix did this, that they're just going to win because I was so stupid."

"Bloom-" Stella softened, uncrossing her arms and crouching down in front of Bloom, who had slid down the wall once again, the fight lost in her and the fire that always burned so brightly doused. "this isn't your fault, this happened because of the Trix and we can't let them get away with it. We lost this battle, but we have to get back up because we might win the next one."

"You're right." A ghost of a smile formed on Bloom's lip and a determined glint burned in tired blue eyes. "We need to go to Alfea to warn Miss. Faragonda."

* * *

Shadows danced across Bloom's ceiling, the moonlight cascading through the window causing tall and big shadows to chase each other around Bloom's room, swallowing each other whole. Stella stared, unblinkingly at the ceiling, trying to will away the bad feeling circling her gut, but it remained, sticking to her like a second skin and no matter how hard she willed it away, it wouldn't leave. It would never leave.

Stella sat up, unzipping her sleeping bag and crawling past the sleeping bodies of the girls and towards the hallway, pulling her phone along with her. She closed the door quietly and crept down the hallway to the bathroom, using her phone light to guide her, before slowly inching the bathroom door closed and flicking on the light switch. Her eyes stung as she adjusted to the mediocre lighting of the bathroom and her reflection stared back at her, an exhausted and barely put together version of herself in her reflection.

Turning her phone on, she scrolled through her messages, going to the group chat with Lucy, Raven, Morgan, Regina, and Cerise. It was probably late there too, possibly a few hours ahead of the time on Earth, but Stella couldn't bring herself to care. She needed to warn her friends that the Trix had something powerful that they might unleash soon. Stella debated telling them that it was the dragon flame that the Trix had acquired, knowing that it was the right thing to do according to their right to know the truth but also knowing that ignorance was bliss.

Well, if she was going to shatter that bliss, she might as well go all the way.

* * *

 **To: Lucy, Raven, Morgan, Regina, and Cerise**

* * *

 **From: Stella**

* * *

 _The Trix have gotten ahold of the dragon flame somehow, they're going to attack very soon. Just be careful and try to protect yourselves at any cost because the Trix are going to strike very soon._

* * *

It was by no means the best put-together message ever, but, it would have to do. It would send them the message that they were in danger and that the Trix were going to be the attackers. For a second, Stella bit her lip, knowing that Lucy had somewhat admired the Trix for a little bit of time and she wondered whether the girls would believe her.

Sighing to herself, she glanced up at her reflection, tired and exhausted but unable to sleep.

Stella glanced back down at her phone, exiting the chat and going to her numbers, she hadn't seen her parents in so long, in such a long, long time and the prospect of the Trix winning was terrifying because she had no idea if they'd ever want to be a proper family again, she had no way of knowing whether that slim possibility was slipping through her fingers. It made her heart ache, because she didn't hate her parents, they were her parents and she would always love them, no matter what was said and done.

Forcing herself to calm down, she made a new group chat, trying to ease her shaking fingers into command before staring at the text message she was about to send. It would raise a lot of questions on the multiple receiver's end, but she couldn't not get her chance to say goodbye if everything went to shit. Stella straightened her posture, even though no one could see her, and pressed the send button.

* * *

 **To: King Radius and Queen Luna**

* * *

 **From: Stella**

* * *

 _Mom, dad. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I do want you to know that I love both of you and maybe in another life we could have been an amazing family._

* * *

There was a certain chill lingering in the air as the portal sealed shut behind them, a breeze pushing Stella's hair in one direction, strands tickling her face and sweeping across her vision. Spring, on most planets, was when the climate started to change from cold to warm, but now it seemed that the weather had went from cold to warm and back to cold. Stella pushed her hair out of her face, glancing uncertainty at the pale pink walls and ocean blue shingles on the roofs of Alfea in the distance.

Shivering, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms, feeling the goosebumps underneath her fingers. "It's so cold." Musa frowned, looking up at the sky, using her hand to shield her eyes from the piercing, bright sun. The sky was still bright blue with fluffy white clouds, contrary to the chilly breeze. "Weird."

Tecna was already on her laptop, fingers racing across the keypad. The green screen hovered, small circles in the middle indicating that it was loading. She frowned at the blank screen, pressing a button on it before the three small dots popped up again before disappearing. "Is it supposed to be doing that?" Flora pointed at the screen, her eyebrows furrowed together as Tecna tapped the same button again and the screen mirrored the same thing it did earlier.

"No." Tecna frowned, slamming her laptop closed carefully. "Whatever it is, it's messing with the technology on Magix. Probably the Trix making sure that we're trapped." Tecna guessed, shrinking her laptop and placing it in her pocket.

Bloom clasped her hands together, her eyes unusually dull without the sparkle of magic she normally had. "We should hurry to Alfea then, update Miss. Faragonda on everything, unless the Trix have already attacked." She rubbed her temple in between her pointer finger and thumb, slouching forward. Stella had never seen Bloom so downtrodden, like a beaten dog that was just trying to look for an escape, it was horrible. Bloom ran a hand through her red, messy hair.

Worry nicked at Stella's heart as they trekked towards the school, had the down magical communication lines meant that her messages hadn't been sent and that they were too late to move. The gate opened as they approached it and Stella stilled herself, feeling her heart race unsteadily in her chest. She hadn't been at Alfea since they had gotten in trouble for the stupid fight a few months ago, when the Trix revealed their intentions with Bloom.

In union, they all released sighs of relief, the courtyard wasn't overly full or anything, but clusters of students dotted the courtyard, hanging near the benches. Unaware and naïve of their fate. Stella kept her head held high as they walked through the courtyard, aware of the stares and gossip shadowing her, students pointing her out to their friends. There she was, the only recent magical that had been expelled from not one, but two high-class magical schools.

If she had been one of them, she probably would be pointing to and had joined in on the gossip chain.

But she wasn't. She had experienced plenty of things in the past year that made her all-the-more different than them. Stella walked in step with Bloom, who had shied in on herself at the looks and mutters that lingered on her, trying to seem confident, plastering a smirk on her face and meeting eyes with everyone who dared to look in her direction. (It was a lot of people)

Griselda was waiting by the entrance, her hands folded over her chest and her eyes severe and narrowed. She towered over them, looking every bit the head of discipline and assistant principal that she was. "Well, do you have an explanation for disappearing off of school property overnight?" Her gaze flittered over all of them, darkening at Stella's presence, but she only kept a confident façade. Griselda's gaze finally landed on Bloom and shock flew over her face, "Oh my."

As a well-trained fairy, Griselda could probably tell the level of magic the came off each magical in waves. The minute her gaze landed on Bloom, a horrified and shocked look, along with a knowing glint that Stella stored to the back of her memory for the moment, came across her face.

"Bloom, what happened to you magic?" Griselda frowned, reaching a hand out with a surprising amount of tenderness to hold Bloom's face in her hands. She tilted Bloom's face from side to side, her gaze scanning.

Tears slid down Bloom's face, tracing her cheek. "T-T-The Trix stole my powers. I-they-ugh." Bloom fumbled for words, a sob ripping out of her throat as Griselda glanced around the courtyard quickly, her gaze sharp, calm and collected rather than the emotions that had been displayed earlier. Griselda gently grabbed Bloom's arm and led her into the school, holding the door open until Musa grabbed a hold of it and held it open for the rest of them.

"Do you think we're going to be in trouble?" Musa whispered, keeping to the back of the group and eyeing Griselda and Bloom in front of them.

Tecna shook her head. "Logically, no, they won't. They have bigger problems than worrying about punishing us." She crossed her arms and tilted her head away from the group, but Stella caught a faint glimpse of the dejection and worry on her face.

Musa and Flora shared a glance, before they both looked away, lost in their own thoughts. Stella glanced down at her nails, the peeling nail polish and the chips on some of her nails, her hands didn't look perfect, not perfectly styled and flawless, but with small red slashes and peeling skin. A year ago, she would have freaked out at the mess, sobbed over how un-fashionable it was and ordered a professional mani-pedi and a spa day. Now, she regarded her nails with disinterest, they were the least of her problems.

She sighed, feeling nostalgic as she glanced at the familiar hallways, same paintings lining each corridor and same colors. It was all the same as it had been a year ago, earthly and magical. After getting in the elevator and going to the second floor, all in silence, she finally recognized the grand doors of the headmistress's office. A different design than any of the doors in the rest of the school engraved in the green-stained glass.

Griselda used the hand that wasn't leading Bloom to knock on the door, a reverberating knock that echoed down the hallway. "Come in." A muffled voice said through the door and Griselda pushed the door open to reveal the familiar office and woman sitting behind the desk. Miss. Faragonda had her hands clasped in front of her and a warm smile on her face, a smile that faltered as she took in the group that trailed behind the assistant principal. "How can I help you girls, today?"

Bloom sniffed, glancing at Griselda momentarily, who gestured for her to sit down before disappearing through a door in the office, returning seconds later with a steaming cup of tea. "Here, drink while it's hot, it'll do you good." Griselda placed the cup in Bloom's hands, who accepted it shakily and took a small sip from it, the tea laced with calming and soothing potions.

Stella closed the door silently behind them, figuring it would probably be best to have some semblance of privacy for this discussion. Bloom flashed her a grateful look, before turning her tired eyes to Faragonda. "All right, then. Would you like to tell me what happened, Bloom?" Faragonda leaned forward, concern flashing in her eyes.

Bloom glanced into the tea cup, the steam blowing against her face before she set it down on the desk on top of a place holder. Her gaze remained downwards as she shakily inhaled and exhaled for a moment. "I decided to leave Alfea." She finally admitted, and Stella inhaled shakily, she knew Bloom had taken off, but she hadn't known that Bloom planned on dropping out.

Faragonda looked flabbergasted, her eyes wide behind her spectacles as she pushed them up her nose, trying to regain her calmness. "Oh, Bloom." She shared a glance with Griselda, who nodded, showing that she had an inkling of Bloom's departure.

"I-I-" Bloom fumbled for words, her gaze finally lifting from the ground, meeting Faragonda's gaze, comprehension dawning on Faragonda's features as she met Bloom's eyes. Bloom swallowed heavily, blinking back tears. "I was at home in Gardenia when the Trix attacked me."

Griselda made a sound deep in her throat, before her gaze shifted to the window, somber and solemn.

Bloom squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her hand into a fist as Stella stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her the strength to continue. Faragonda met her gaze, looking partially shocked that she was there, but not fully surprised. "They used a powerful spell with these gem things, I think." Bloom tapped her chin, opening her eyes, before shaking her head to clear it. "Anyways they used the gem and they took my powers, they took the Dragon Flame!" Bloom glanced back at Tecna for confirmation, who nodded solemnly.

Miss. Faragonda stood up from her chair, her hands at her sides as she paced to the window looking out at the courtyard, her reflection staring back at her worried and somber. "Bloom, this is very grave news. The Dragon Flame is one of the great powers of the Magic Dimension." She looked like she wanted to say more but kept it to herself. "And those gems, they once belonged to the Ancestral Witches and if the Trix are able to use them, then they are descendants of the Ancestral Witches."

Griselda looked at the headmistress, worried. "As in the witches who destroyed Domino." She said and Faragonda nodded, spinning back around to face the group. "The Trix must be trying to finish their ancestors' work, this is not good."

Faragonda's lips pursed together and remained in a thin, pink slash across her face. "I know. This does not bode well with the rest of Magix, even the witches will not be safe. We must warn Griffon." She sat back down at her desk and opened her communicator, but the thing only made a squealing, siren-like sound before remaining blank.

Tecna stepped forward, "I think our technology is jammed. I haven't been able to calculate anything all morning, other than prior knowledge, especially with this odd late-spring chill in the air." She said, pulling her laptop out, but the gadget wouldn't even enlarge itself anymore, surrounded by static. "I think the chill is a gift from Icy and the lack of electricity for our technology is from Stormy."

"They're trapping us here." Faragonda realized, "they're making sure we can't reach each other and are completely cornered before they attack. We won't be able to call for back-up or anything from the Magix Council if they don't know anything is wrong." She dropped her head in her hands.

Stella furrowed her eyebrows. "What if we personally send a message, try to evacuate the city or something. We can't just sit idly by while the Trix shut down our ability to talk to each other." She said, "We could send someone to Red Fountain and Cloud Tower to alert them or get them to group together here, it might be safer to have us all here." Of course, there was the matter of a volunteer to go to Red Fountain since Stella already planned on going to Cloud Tower to check up on the girls, she hadn't heard anything back from them regarding last night's message and she had a feeling her warning had done nothing to help them.

"It might work." Griselda's gaze was directed at Faragonda. "And I already have a feeling you plan on going to Cloud Tower, Miss Stella."

Stella nodded in response, flashing a thankful smile to Griselda, because the woman had backed her idea, before her gaze settled on Faragonda. "I suppose it's all we have. We'll need someone to go to Magix as well to alert the council so that they can evacuate accordingly." Faragonda lifted her head from her hands, a frown suddenly forming on her face. "Bloom, we might need you to go to Magix so that the council will actually believe that there is a threat."

Bloom nodded, "I kind of figured that someone would need proof." She frowned, casting her gaze to Stella. "I really wanted to check in on Cloud Tower though."

"That's probably not a good idea." Stella immediately shook her head, shutting down the idea quickly. "No offense to you Bloom, but the witches aren't really happy with you so you walking in vulnerable, without your magic, would basically be a really good chance for them to seriously injure you."

"Stella's right, Bloom." Flora placed a hand on Bloom's shoulder. "I would come with you Stella, but I think I know a way to free Mirta from the pumpkin curse."

"Then you should stay here Flo." Musa said, "I'll go check in at Red Fountain and Tecna should probably take Bloom to the Magix Council." Faragonda quickly shook her head, standing up. "What? I thought that we were going to go with Stel's plan to personally go to Red Fountain, Cloud Tower, and Magix." Musa blinked in surprise.

"We are." Faragonda confirmed, a light smile on her lips. "And Stella will be going to Cloud Tower with an upperclassman or a teacher. But, we need you girls to stay here because you are all very vulnerable due to your interaction with the Trix and we can't risk your safety in case they plan on attacking you before you even reach Red Fountain or Magix." Faragonda said, shutting down the idea of Musa and Tecna leaving Alfea.

Tecna raised a hand, "But that's so contradictory, Miss Faragonda. Stella has faced them many times to, so wouldn't she be in more danger if she went?"

Faragonda nodded, "Yes, she would, but Miss Stella is not my student. I can't completely forbid her from checking up on her classmates, not that it would matter, because she would just go no matter what I say." A small smile traced her lips and Stella ducked her head in embarrassment, resisting the urge to correct the headmistress. She wasn't a student at Cloud Tower anymore, she had been expelled just days ago, but she knew it was probably best not to correct someone who had the magical power to stop her. "She'll be going with someone, if that is any consolation girls and Bloom will be going with a big group of people."

"It's still not fair." Musa crossed her arms, pouting slightly, she turned to look at Flora, "I guess, we'll be your encouragement for freeing Mirta." She slung an arm over Flora's shoulder, who just smiled and patted her hand.

Faragonda nodded in Griselda's direction, "Griselda, take Flora, Musa, and Tecna back to their room and put a few protective spells around the dorms. I'll need to a few upperclassmen to come here." Griselda nodded back and led the girls out of the room, the 'good lucks' echoing after them before the door sealed them away from view. "Now, girls, would you like to sit down? We might be waiting a while." Stella nodded, trying to make herself comfortable in the big chair, it was a rather comfy chair, but she couldn't settle the anxiety rising in her stomach.

She knew that hope was becoming less and less lucky, but she really hoped that Cloud Tower would be in one piece when she arrived.

* * *

The girls that had come to the office had been accompanied by Palladium and Wizgiz, who both looked incredibly and uncharacteristically somber. There were seven girls in total, two of which were sophomores and Stella had seen around school when they were in the same grade. Apple, a girl with golden blonde hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes decked out in varying shades of red along with an image of her namesake. Next to her was Briar, a girl with brown hair, tan skin, and amethyst colored eyes along with pink highlights to match her clothing. Stella also recognized a few juniors/seniors thrown into the mix, girls that had been working to achieve their Enchantix.

There was a girl with black, wavy hair who had pale skin and hazel eyes that were more green than anything, she was usually referred to as Snow, even though her name was Mary Margaret and her and Apple were cousins. A girl next to her had blue hair and was wearing a blue ensemble, referring to her nickname 'Blue' even though no one really knew her real name. The other three girls she couldn't recognize, but they all looked older and clearly had more experience with magic.

The smile that had been on Briar's face slipped away, "Wow." She tilted her head to one side. "I mean I heard that someone had had their powers taken away, I just didn't really believe it." Briar said to Bloom, while Stella tossed her a glare.

"Briar." Apple muttered, elbowing the girl sharply. "Hello Stella, it's nice to see you again." She said sweetly, "I'm also really sorry to hear about what happened, Bloom, how are you feeling?" Stella could tell that Bloom wasn't really ok with the chirpy, sweet attitude that Apple carried with her, but it wasn't an act. Apple really was a sweet person like that, to the point of being annoying.

Stella forced a smile, "We're doing ok, Apple." She said, casting Bloom a pointed glance. "We'd be a lot better if the Trix weren't total bitches, but that can't really be helped."

Apple nodded in understanding, even though she opened her mouth to probably scold Stella for the use of language. "I'll go with Stella to Cloud Tower." Snow spoke up, her own voice almost as soft as her cousin's, but she had more of a bite to her. "A friend of mine is there, and I really need to check up on her." Faragonda nodded in understanding while Snow turned to the rest of the group.

Wizgiz stepped forward. "I'll be joining the group headed to Cloud Tower." He smiled impishly. "You might need my help getting into the building and Griffon always did like me more than potion dude over there." The metamorphosis teacher jabbed a finger in Palladium's direction, impish smile still in place.

Palladium scoffed, "Yeah, right. You're the ones who always catch her students pranking our school."

"Exactly." Wizgiz winked. "I give her students to punish."

Palladium just shook his head in response with an exasperated look on his face.

Faragonda smiled at the two, before her expression slid into a somber look. "So, Rachel, Jenna, Sharon, Blue, Briar, and Apple will be going with Bloom and Palladium to Magix, before Jenna and Sharon check on Red Fountain and update them on the situation with the Trix." The group mentioned nodded their heads in affirmation and Faragonda directed her gaze in Stella's direction. "Meanwhile, Stella, Snow, and Wizgiz will be headed to Cloud Tower to check on the witches and update them."

"Sounds like a plan." Briar said with an easy smile.

Faragonda nodded her head, "Remember everyone, be careful. The Trix are still out there and with our technology down we won't be able to reach each other and call for help, especially considering the power they have acquired." Bloom rubbed the back of her neck slightly at the mention of the Dragon Flame. "I expect you all to be back within 90 minutes, if not, I will be sending a search beam up in the sky and you must respond accordingly."

It was crazy, Stella couldn't believe the weight that settled firmly on her shoulders at those words or the implications if any of them were attacked mid-mission.

* * *

"So, who do you know in Cloud Tower?" Stella asked Snow as they got off the bus, which had dropped them off a decent distance from the school in case the school had been taken. She had learned a little bit about Snow through some of the small talk through the five-minute ride to the school, like her favorite color and whether she was graduating this year as a junior or not (depending on whether she had acquired her Enchantix). But they had steered clear of talk of Cloud Tower until now.

Snow sighed, "You might not know her." She said, toying with her lip in between her teeth. "Her name's Regina and she is a junior like me, we used to be really good friends and we're slowly rebuilding that bridge."

Stella perked up, "I know a girl named Regina, she has really dark hair and eyes and when she uses her magic, her eyes usually turn red, right?" She asked, and Snow nodded, looking partially shocked. "Wow, small world, right?"

"Yeah." Snow laughed, before quieting down as the school came into view. Thunder rumbled in the unusually dark sky above them and Stella frowned, the sky was usually a medium-purple color, but now it was dark and ominous.

She had a feeling that her fear of the school being conquered had been proven, because this would never happen if it wasn't for the fact that the Trix had a hand in it. Wizgiz frowned up at the school, backing away slightly. "We better get back to Alfea, immediately, tell them that Cloud Tower has already been taken." Wizgiz sighed, turning back to tack the trail that they had traveled to the school.

"But we can't just leave them there. They're our friends, what if the Trix are hurting them, we can't just-just." Stella fumbled for words on the last bit, clenching her hand into a fist and staring at the towering castle in front of them.

Snow put a hand on her shoulder. "I know. I want nothing more than to go get them, but we can't. The Trix will know we're here and we won't be able to help Alfea defend itself if we're trapped here." She glanced up at the tower as well. "I promise that we'll try to come back for them, but we can't right now. We have to report back to Alfea."

Stella deflated, chancing one last glance at the school, she couldn't believe that it was just taken over, that the Trix had won that battle. She knew she said that the good guys don't always win, but she always thought that they wouldn't lose this badly, with two losses in a row. Their chances of winning had just drastically shot down and she really hoped that Red Fountain hadn't fallen as well.

She sighed, turning her back on the school and following Wizgiz as he led the way back to the bus they had taken. The driver gave them a knowing look before speeding them away. Stella's gaze remained on the school for as long as she could, until it disappeared from view, before she turned back to the seat in front of her, a tear trailing down her cheek as she curled in on herself, mourning the loss of her home for the past year even more.

Something nipped at her memory, something she had seen before Cloud Tower disappeared from view, but maybe it was a figment of her imagination. Maybe she hadn't seen anything and was just imagining the worst, but she could have sworn she saw crimson movement forming on the walls, gathering and swelling together.

"I think I'm losing it." Snow said, rubbing her head.

Stella glanced at her, "You saw it too, right?"

Snow nodded as they both turned to Wizgiz, who looked slightly pale. "This is worse than we thought, the Trix have raised the Army of Decay." He rubbed his temple. Stella had no idea what he was talking about, she had never even heard of this 'Army of Decay,' but whatever it was, it sounded really bad, like dangerously bad. "The Army of Decay is basically all of the evil in the world gathering together to form bug-like creatures that can only be killed by very powerful spells."

Snow covered her mouth with her hand, horror written across her face. "By the Dragon, what are we going to do?"

Stella mentally laughed bitterly, wasn't that the question of the year.

* * *

"What do you think Saladin wants to have a meeting about?" Sky finally broke the silence as they walked to the stadium. It had taken only a few spells from some fairies to restore it to it's normal glory, but Codatorta still had been greatly displeased, making them run through military-style training multiple times, including laps around Magix. Brandon resolutely stared ahead of him, not bothering to look at his best friend.

He didn't really want to talk to Sky right now, between everything. He thought Bloom had had an inkling that Sky was in an arranged marriage, that Sky had at least sat her down to talk about, but he didn't. Now, Stella wasn't responding to him, she hadn't been in the days since the tournament. He knew Sky had fucked up, in the worst possible way, but did that mean he was also in the wrong?

Brandon could guess so, he could also guess that Stella had gotten tired of his non-stop messages and blocked him this morning because his messages weren't sending.

It was weird though, why would she wait days to block him? Something didn't quite add up.

"It probably has something to do with the technology shut-down today." Timmy finally said, his voice breaking through the spiral of Brandon's thoughts. He slid his gaze to Timmy, pausing momentarily. Timmy caught his gaze and glanced down at his handheld which was on a blank screen, "I haven't been able to access the World-wide web since this morning, and any messages I've tried to send to anyone have all failed." Timmy explained, pointing at his handheld, "My handheld won't even shrink anymore."

"That's so weird." Sky commented as they entered the arena. Most of the seats had been filled and Brandon took the first empty seat he could find, even though it meant that both of his roommates were sitting next to him. "Brandon, are you at least going to acknowledge that we said something?"

Brandon shrugged, not sparing Sky a glance, he wanted to be angry, he wanted to steam about everything for a while. Was that suddenly not ok? "Are you ordering me to respond, your highness?" Brandon gritted his teeth together, feeling temporarily glad that Sky flinched at the tone, it didn't make him feel better as he had hoped it would. If anything, he felt a bit worse. He knew how much Sky hated being addressed like royalty by people he considered to be his friends.

Sky sighed, "Of course not, you know I would never do that."

"I also thought you would never try to two-time someone, but you surprise me, every day." Brandon snarked back, sliding a sharp glare to his friend.

Sky raised both eyebrows, "Is this about Stella not responding to you? Look man, I was going to tell Bloom and I'm in the process of breaking off my arranged marriage with Diaspro." Sky ran a hand through his long hair, "You would know that if you answered me half the time, rather than running out of every room I enter."

Brandon crossed his arms over his chest. "Congratulations on breaking off your arranged marriage. But, do you think that Bloom is just going to forgive you? You lied-well not entirely-but you didn't tell her the truth." He pointed out, turning his head slightly to face his best friend. "And you know that me and Stella were leading up to something more than friends, but now, she won't respond to me at all. I mean, I guess the technology shut-off might excuse my messages not getting through, but you know I really liked her and now that's over because she won't freaking talk to me."

He really wanted to punch something, which honestly surprised him. Brandon had never been quick to get angry, that was more Riven's forte, but now he was angry.

Dragon, he was turning into Riven.

Brandon could excuse him partially for his actions, he had been under a spell by Darcy, one of the Trix sisters so he could guess that there was some excuse for it all, but it didn't make the sting lessen at all. Add to that, the fact that they couldn't go to anyone who could help, because they didn't really have any proof other than the whole he said-she said situation. It was all a tangled mess.

A hush settled over the arena as Saladin lifted his staff and lowered it on the floor multiple times to get their attention. "Red Fountain students, we are under threatening by the Trix. We have received word and proof that they have taken the Dragon Flame from one of Alfea's fairies and speculation that they have raised the Army of Decay and taken Cloud Tower." Saladin informed them solemnly.

A familiar yellow ogre stepped out behind him, knocking his fists together nervously. "Knut? What the hell is he doing here?" Brandon hissed under his breath, moving to grab his sword.

Saladin raised his hands, quieting the sudden murmur through the crowd. "Silence!" Codatorta snapped, stepping forward and glaring sharply at the students in front of him. Everything went silent and Brandon rested his hand over the hilt of his sword, every muscle tightening for battle.

They were talking about the Trix threatening the universe, a weight dropped in his stomach suddenly. Darcy. Riven. Shit. Brandon whipped his head around, looking for their grumpy roommate, but he was suspiciously absent from the meeting. _Shit, shit, shit. This is bad._ Brandon shared a glance with his friends, their expressions reading the same worry and nerves that had firmly settled in his stomach.

An earthquake suddenly shook the school and Brandon firmly planted his feet so he wouldn't fall over like the freshmen.

"Young men, soon we will be under attack by the Trix and their evil army. The time has come to do battle." Saladin raised his voice, as multiple members of the staff ran out with trunks filled with weapons. Brandon unsheathed his sword, activating it with a simple jerk of his arm and hand. Codatorta raised his arms, like a wizard about to cast a great spell, a wicked glint in his smile.

"Are you ready?" Codatorta yelled, grinning up at the sky, that was steadily becoming darker and darker.

A cheer echoed throughout the stadium. Brandon raised his sword to the Sky, feeling the thrum and adrenaline of battle run through his veins. "Yeah!" He joined in the yelling, running over the seats in front of him so that he could be on the ground rather than in the bleachers. He could hear the thumps of his friends' footsteps following him, joining him in the excitement and thrill.

"We must fight with everything that is in us." Saladin raised his staff to the sky and they waited. It took less than a minute for the attack to start. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, rain falling from the sky and soaking Brandon instantly, his hair dripped water droplets onto his face and the rumble of thunder was enough to make some freshmen jump. The Earth rumbled with the sky, burble of crimson _stuff_ gathering together to form big monsters and Brandon found himself staring into the eyes of something that stunk and smelled like decaying flesh.

Its eyes burned back as it stared back at him, orange hellfire burning in the holes. Brandon backed away in horror, his mouth dropping open and he could practically feel the horror spreading around the crowd of students as the cheers died down.

This wasn't a video game where they had multiple lives to take out the bad guy. This wasn't where the good guys always won. This was war, ugly and terrible and deadly.

The thing lurched forward, unsteady on its bug-like legs and Brandon ducked as its 'hand' swung out at him, catching the edges of his cape. He tucked himself into a barrel roll and rolled underneath the thing as it leapt above, using his hand to steady himself and holding his sword out. Brandon launched himself forward, swiping at the monster and watching it screech and become a glob of crimson stuff.

He couldn't even identify what the hell the crimson stuff was, it kind of looked like a million bugs swarming together but the stench of it disproved that theory.

His sigh of relief was cut off as the thing reformed, bigger than before as another thing merged with it and Brandon backed away. In the corner of his eye, he noted Timmy firing his blaster at one, but it eventually became bigger like Brandon's had. He tried to keep his eye on Timmy, ready to run over there and try and help, despite the monsters separating them. Brandon pushed his hair out of his face, ducking down as the monster swiped at him.

He was taken off guard when the thing had enough of not being able to catch his prey and delivered a strong kick to Brandon's ribs. Brandon yelped as he was flung back several feet into another kid in his class, who tried to help him up but the red clumps of something swept over them like a wave, ready to drown them. Brandon held his sword out, knowing that it was futile to even try to fight the swarm, but he wasn't just going to die without fighting.

Death. Death was staring him into the face and he had so many things he wanted to say, but he might never be able to.

He wanted to say goodbye to his mom and dad.

He wanted to tell them how much he loved them.

He wanted to ruffle his little brother's hair, watching as Simon whined and shoved him away.

He wanted to say something to Stella, see her honey-colored eyes against the sunlight again.

He wanted to laugh with everyone he cared about.

He wanted so much, but to know that in a few, short seconds it would all be gone, hurt. It hurt because there were so many things be stripped away from him. So many chances now gone and lost.

Suddenly a wave of blue energy shot out and shut down the attack, partially. The clump was still there but it had shrunk down into the ground. Brandon took the second between its setback and reformation to run over to Saladin, feeling his classmate trail after him. He wanted to feel relieved, but he couldn't, because they were still under attack and students were still being demolished by the monsters that were unaffected by Saladin's spell.

"No." Saladin muttered, leaning against his staff to support himself and Brandon cut down the monster that took his distraction as a minute to attack. It didn't do much, other than give them a chance to get away. "Men, we must retreat. Prepare the ships for a retreat." Saladin yelled, using his staff so that his voice echoed around the arena.

Some students rushed to the ships, docking them and preparing them for take-off. Brandon glanced forlornly at the arena, watching the destruction take place. Cackling filled the sky and he found himself look upwards. The Trix were floating up there, surrounded by lightning and dark clouds, the rain unaffecting their features. Faces twisting into cruel smirks and their eyes malicious and haunting even from afar.

Brandon shivered, despite himself. Icy, the eldest floated ahead of her sisters, raising her hands to the sky before pointing at Saladin. "Newsflash old man! Red Fountain is history." She grinned, as an ice dragon shot out of her fingers and Brandon shielded his eyes against the brightness. Something creaked and cracked and splintered and he found himself turning, unwilling to see the destruction of his home, to see the ice dragon covered most of the school, the main tower breaking and falling off he school.

Saladin collapsed to his knees, horror written across his face as the laughter of the Trix echoed around the arena. Brandon helped him to hist feet, rushing them towards the exit. "Strategic withdraw. Everyone to their battleships!" Codatorta yelled, gathering Saladin and rushing him to the nearest exiting battleship. Brandon surged forward with the crowd, entering his battle ship.

He sank onto one of the benches in the back, unable to watch his home and school crumble away.

* * *

"Come on in, young men. We'll help you get settled." Miss. Faragonda welcomed them in as Codatorta opened the doors, helping Saladin in. Stella watched them walk in, searching their faces. They all looked tired and drawn and utterly beaten, her heart sank to her stomach as she stood on her tip toes, trying to spot Brandon. Or Timmy. Or Sky. Or even Riven would be good to spot right now.

Her gaze finally landed on them, far in the back. Stella inched towards them, she wanted to know what happened, but she needed to check on them. Make sure that they were ok, or something, anything. Stella waved them over and they walked over without complaint. "What are you doing here?" Sky lifted his eyes to hers, his eyes tinted red and Stella felt a wave of empathy wash over her.

"It's a long story." Stella summarized, "Come on guys. I'll take you to where I'm staying, it's not a lot but it was an open dorm." She tried to smile, but it came off as more of a grimace.

Timmy sighed, "That sounds great, Stel." He didn't bother forcing a smile, and Stella quickly turned and led them away, flashing a nod in Griselda's direction, who nodded back, accepting that she wanted to take the guys with her. "I'm so sorry to hear about Cloud Tower." Timmy finally broke the silence that settled, and Stella sighed, blinking back tears. She hadn't fully been able to accept that her school was gone, even if she had been expelled, it had been her home for so long and for it to just be taken so quickly made her heart ache.

"Don't worry, we'll get both schools back." They shared identical looks of something Stella couldn't decipher, and a lead weight dropped in her stomach. "No. Don't tell me. Oh Dragon. Oh Dragon. Oh Dragon." She brought a fist to her mouth and bit on it to stop herself from having a panic attack. When did all the losing stop? When did good finally triumph over evil? When would the Trix stop winning? "I'm so sorry. Dragon, I'm so sorry."

"It's ok, Stella, it's not your fault." Brandon said, his eyes sad as he hesitantly met her gaze. Her heart lurched in her chest, dragon, she had almost forgotten about everything with him. But now, she remembered, and it was back and dragon, he almost _died_.

Stella felt tears well up in her eyes. "It is though, if I had just talked to Bloom. Stopped her from going back to Gardenia, none of this would be happening."

Sky furrowed his eyebrows, holding up a hand. "What are you talking about? What about Bloom?" He asked, and Stella pushed open the door to the dorm room she had preoccupied, unable to look him in the eye. "Stella, what the hell are you talking about? Tell us!" He raised his voice slightly and Brandon put a hand on his shoulder.

"Bloom's the lost princess of Domino, she had the Dragon Flame. The Trix stole it from her and now they have it and now they're going to destroy Magix with the Dragon Flame." Stella sank down on the couch and Sky gaped at her in shock. Brandon and Timmy stood in the doorway, sharing identical looks of comprehension. "I know the good guys don't always win, but when are we going to start winning? We lost the Dragon Flame. We lost Cloud Tower. We lost Red Fountain. When do we start winning? When is all of this going to stop?" Stella curled in on herself.

"Stella-"

"You know what the worst part of this all is? It's my fault! If I hadn't chosen to land on Earth, then I would never have brought Bloom to Magix. The Trix would have never found her or the dragon. They wouldn't have stolen it, and everything would be fine." Stella didn't bother brushing away her tears. "I was being selfish. I saw a good friend in Bloom and I was selfish because why else would she be on non-magical Earth? Why did I have to bring her here? Why didn't I just let Knut win in that damn portal?"

Brandon put his hands on her shoulders and shook her, "Stella, stop! Stop it, ok? Just, stop." Stella glanced up at him, and he wiped her tears away. "I know this entire situation sucks, but this is not your fault. This is not on you. This is all on the Trix, because they're the evil people who are wreaking havoc across Magix, not you." Stella hiccupped, resting her head on Sky's shoulder, he was behind her and rubbing soothing circles on her back, trying to calm her down.

Dragon, she missed having these guys as her friends. They had been her only friends in freshmen year, which had been lonely and quiet with none of the people in her dorm liking her. But, she had them. They had her back and she had theirs and they had been really good friends, she missed that friendship and that ease and the comfort.

She even missed Riven, who was an absolute ass, but she missed him too.

"If we live through this, can we please have a movie night?"

Brandon laughed and nodded, "Of course, sunshine. We'll have a million movie nights to look forward to." He kissed her forehead and brought her closer to him.

"Can't we just have one right now? Forget everything that's going on and have a movie night." Sky asked, "I'm sure you have some movies here, right?" He began shuffling through the movie case, before picking one out at random and pushing it into the T.V. DMP (Digital Movie Port). The movie itself was on a small rectangular device and made a clicking sound as it entered the T.V.

Brandon playfully glared at him. "I thought we agreed to never watch this moving again."

"I don't recall any agreement." Sky tapped his chin mockingly, and Brandon rolled his eyes at him. "Do you, Timmy?"

Timmy shook his head, "Don't drag me into this."

Yep, Stella mentally decided, as they settled on the couch to forget the battles and loses, she definitely missed these guys, even though Riven still wasn't there, they would drag him into a movie night when this was over.

She wasn't going to think about if they lost.

* * *

 **This is by far one of the longest chapters I've ever written for this story. And the story isn't even over. I still haven't decided if I'm going to include the mess with Dorkar (Darkar) or not. I'm not entirely sure, it kind of depends on how it ends. I've kind of decided to have two alternate endings, and don't worry about the end game with Brandon and Stella, they are still going to have a bit of a messy happy ending. Anyways, I don't want to spoil too much about the next chapter, so I'll just leave you at the fluff scene of Stella hanging with the guys and having a movie night. Honestly, that came out of nowhere, but I kind of figured that they would be good friends before this eventful year and that's how Stella/Specialist movie night came to be.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Bloom was brought to Alfea by Stella and eventually led the Winx Club into many battles against the Trix and their allies, saving the Magical Universe. In another world, what if Stella had not been accepted back into Alfea? What if, instead of going to another fairy school, she decided to go to Cloud Tower to prove that good witches existed? What happens when she meets Bloom?**

 **Warning the characters may be a bit OC but all ships will happen. Another thing is that this is going to be based off of the Nick specials since I never watched the other versions. I don't own Winx Club.**

* * *

The Battle for Magix

* * *

Chapter 10

* * *

"Bloom, I think your plan makes sense." Miss Faragonda said, her head in her hands and a thoughtful expression written across her face. Stella crossed her arms over her chest, curious, just yesterday, the woman hadn't wanted them to go check up on the areas and spread the word, but now, she was suddenly ok with it. What was that? Her gaze slid to Brandon and Sky, who were both in the room with them, along with Knut, who wouldn't meet her gaze.

In what way was it smart to send a fairy without magic, a witch that had been expelled ¾ of the way through her freshmen year, two heroes, and an ogre who had stabbed the Trix in the back, essentially?

It was crazy.

"Come on! Only a total lunatic would go anywhere near Cloud Tower, right now." Sky said, shaking his head. Bloom didn't even glance at him and Stella tilted her head to one side, confused. She had half-expected Bloom to demand a switch out between Sky and another Red Fountain student, but Bloom hadn't even acknowledged he was in the same room as her, so far.

She was also pretty sure Bloom did not appreciate being referred to as a lunatic. "I hate to say it Bloom, but I agree with Sky. You didn't see what it was like at Cloud Tower." Stella resisted the urge to shiver, she hadn't even seen inside of the school. Although, from what she could gather, the school probably only gotten worse with the addition of the Army of Decay prowling around. "Plus, we know they have the Army of Decay on their side now, and they can't be destroyed."

Bloom locked eyes with her, determination burning in her eyes. "You told me to try and help, Stel. This is the only way I can think of to even do anything." She glanced down at the floor, inhaling heavily. "I have to get the Dragon Flame back and I'm sure it's in Cloud Tower. Besides, it's the last thing the Trix would expect." Bloom settled her hands on the desk.

"And how are you planning to get in?" Brandon inquired, one eyebrow lifted. "I'm pretty sure we're dead meat if we just go knocking on the front door." He shook his head, and Stella interlaced their fingers together. Even if he didn't want to admit it to anyone, she knew him, he didn't want to go having a face-off with the decay monsters what-so-ever. She wasn't sure she even wanted him to come with her and chance it, weren't bruised ribs enough?

Knut raised a shaking hand. "It's easy, we could take the tunnels." Miss. Faragonda unfurled a large scroll of paper showing the map of the schools and flipped it over, on the backside was a blueprint of underground tunnels interlacing and leading to each school.

"There are ancient tunnels linking all three schools and Knut can find the way." Bloom trailed a finger along the tunnel between Alfea and Cloud Tower. She spun around to face the rest of the group. "Look, I'm going. With, or without you." She folded her arms across her chest, looking only partially unsure of herself, but fully determined to follow through with her plan.

Stella sighed, walking over to Bloom and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Even if it is a suicide mission. Extra emphasis on suicide. You're not going there without me."

Sky looked exasperated, "Seriously?" He glanced at Miss. Faragonda, "Why do you think that this would even remotely be a good idea?"

"Prince Sky." Saladin intervened, thumping his staff against the floor. "We are fully confident in the success rate of this plan. We have managed to salvage some technology thanks to Tecna of Zenith." Tecna laid out some ear pieces on the table.

Bloom picked one up and rolled it in between her fingers. "They're indestructible with unlimited access and an invisibility mode." Tecna took the device from Bloom and gently placed it in her right ear, pressing a button that hooked on the back, making it completely blend in with her ear. Bloom moved her head from side to side, and Stella watched in fascination as the invisibility mode shifted with each movement. "You'll be checking in every hour." Tecna said, handing them all ear pieces.

Stella scanned hers momentarily before placing it in her ear, it clogged her ear momentarily and she couldn't hear a thing outside of that ear before the device did something that allowed her to hear. She clicked the button in the back, unsure if it had disappeared or not. Glancing over at Brandon, she could see him toying with his earpiece, making it go into a few crazy modes. "Careful Brandon, you might break it." Stella teased, walking over and clicking the right button, watching as it blended in, making it seem like there was nothing in his ear.

"They're indestructible, remember, sunshine?" Brandon slung an arm around her shoulder, casual. He then leaned in close to her ear, "Are you sure about this, sunshine, you don't have to come if you don't want to." He whispered, his voice so low that no one else even noticed he said anything.

Stella smiled at him, hoping her face didn't give away how terrified she was. "Don't worry Brandy, I'll be fine." She poked his nose before turning to the rest of the group and watching as they got settled.

Miss. Faragonda, after everyone had situated their ear pieces and gotten a decent enough understanding of communicating with them, stood up. Her facial expression was serious, and she pointed to her mirror, which, as Stella took a closer look was an open portal. "You must leave immediately." An image of cloudy skies and the screeching of the Army of Decay flickered across the image. "The final attack is coming." She waved her hand, deep blue-purple energy surrounding her fingers and the portal finalized itself onto the entrance of the tunnels.

"Be safe." Tecna called out as they left, waving her fingers with a hint of sadness in her eyes. Stella waved back, before she turned and entered the portal, feeling the wind rushing over her ears like a wave.

* * *

The tunnels were humid, a thin layer of water settling over every exposed area of Stella's skin as she climbed down the latter. The portal had taken them to another room, less moist and humid but with puddles forming on the floors and a smell she could not place hovering like fog over the ground. She glanced down, trying to find the last step, but she miscalculated and tumbled downwards, Brandon swiftly wrapping his arms around her waist and lowering her to the ground.

"Careful sunshine, wouldn't want you to break an ankle." He kept his arms around her waist a fraction longer than he needed to. Stella had a feeling he wanted to question whether she wanted to turn back, and she quickly squirmed her way out of his hold, she wasn't a damsel, she would be fine.

She could understand the worry, she worried for him too and she didn't want him to be there either, but it was getting annoying. He was literally questioning whether she wanted to turn back with every step she made, and she was getting slightly frustrated with him. Stella pushed away her annoyance, squeezing his hand slightly before he drew his hand away to draw out his sword.

The brilliant emerald green light glistened off the sword, casting a slight shadow everywhere he turned. Sky did the same thing, unsheathing the bright sky-blue sword that glistened the color of his namesake. The intermingling of the colors created a quite beautiful landscape, despite the muckiness of the tunnels. Cocking her head to one side, she envisioned copying those colors, including the shadows, into a tight-fitting formal dress. Then a summer dress with thin straps and a cinching-in belt at the waist along with a slightly puffed-out skirt.

Stella shook her head, pulling herself away from fantasy-design land and back to the present. Knut was holding a torch he had lit with one of the matches Sky had brought and was now moving it around, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "Okay Knut, which way do we go to get to Cloud Tower?" Sky asked, eyes following Knut's every movement.

It seemed Stella wasn't the only one who didn't trust their new ally.

Knut glanced back at them and Stella mentally gagged at the grossness of his breath fanning over them. Dragon, did this ogre never learn about proper, dental hygiene? "I'm not sure, everything looks different down here." He said loudly, the tunnel almost shaking with his voice and Stella glanced at the tunnels, one led to the right, the other was centered, and the last one led to the left.

Stella tried to be patient, "There are three tunnels, which one do we take?" She asked, and Brandon grabbed her hand with his free one, interlacing his fingers like he could read her mind. The first time she had met the ogre was not a pleasant memory, one where he had attacked her in her own portal and sent her to Earth in an attempt to steal the scepter she no longer had. That memory wasn't just going to dissipate because he woke up and realized he didn't have to play servant to the Trix.

"Uh. I don't know." Knut cocked his head dumbly at her.

Stella clenched her free hand into a fist, biting her lip so she didn't say anything. She tried not to mention that it had been nearly an hour since they had left, and the first part of that hour had been spent with Knut basically going eenie-meenie-minie-mo between tunnels. They had already had their hour check-in with everyone back at Alfea with their nonexistent progress. Brandon glanced at her, leaning into whisper into her ear. "Don't worry, Stel. We'll find a way out of this."

Stella rolled her eyes, "Not with this guy leading us to fourteen death traps every half-hour." She didn't mean to say it so loud, and almost felt sympathetic when Knut flinched and looked down at his feet. "Sorry, Knut. I-I'm just worried about Cloud Tower." She wasn't going to say that she was worried about the chance of failure they would have in this mission; those chances were raising with every minute. Every second was a second closer to the Trix summoning their strength to attack Alfea.

"It's otay." Knut said, sounding more like a toddler as he continued to stare at his feet.

Bloom gave her an exasperated look and Stella bit her lip to hide the indignant huff, Bloom was not going to treat her like she was in the wrong because she came up with a suicide mission. She didn't have any high moral-ground, Stella bit the inside of her cheek to stop the insult from pouring through her lips. "Stella, Knut is doing his best." Bloom patted his stomach, "Knut, you have a great sense of smell, use it." Bloom smiled encouragingly, quickly pulling her hand away from him and wiping it on her skirt.

Knut stepped forward and sniffed, glancing at each tunnel before pointing towards one. "It's this one." He picked the center pathway and began to lead the way down it. Stella lingered at the back, glancing behind them, before Brandon gently tugged her forward.

"Is it bad that I kind of doubt him?" Stella whispered to Brandon, keeping her voice low enough so Knut wouldn't overhear, her eyes watching as he flounced through the doorway. A happy march in his step and a beam settling over his face.

Brandon shook his head. "Not at all. His track record isn't the cleanest as far as conversations we've had with him goes." Brandon wrinkled his nose, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "I think that's why Miss. Faragonda wanted us to go too, because we have enough weapons in case the Trix are using him as a trap for us." Brandon pointed out, his voice a low murmur.

Stella could only partially understand that. The guys were sophomores, after all, meaning they had a bit of a better understanding of how to capture criminals than the freshmen, but at the same time, wouldn't the juniors or seniors be with them if that was the case? Maybe it was because they had worked together before and knew each other's moves. "Knut, are you sure about this?" Stella eyed some of the things lining the walls, they looked a little strange and out of place.

Knut glanced behind him, "If I say it's this one, this one it is." He led the way. Stella quirked an eyebrow, there were much simpler ways of saying that statement. She glanced at Brandon, sharing a glance before she tugged her hand free and caught up with Bloom. Sky and Brandon remaining in the back. She hadn't really talked to Bloom since going to Earth and the mess of everything unraveled.

"Bloom, you ok?" Stella eyed her.

Bloom didn't even look at her. "I'm just peachy, Stel. I got my powers stolen and now I'm traveling to my old school filled with people who may-or may not hate me with my lying ex." Sarcasm dripped form her tone. Stella chose not to comment on it because they hadn't really DTR(Define the Relationship)-ed the relationship.

"And how is that my fault?" Stella crossed her arms over her chest, and Bloom finally glanced at her. "You're treating me, not to mention the guys, like were expendable. Like this isn't a mission that could kill us, especially considering how badly some guys were injured in that fight." Stella didn't want to mention that some guys had disappeared, not just Riven, meaning they were most likely dead.

Bloom's face softened. "Stel, I-I didn't mean-"

Stella held a hand up to silence her. "I get it, you want to get your powers back. I can't imagine what it'd be like without mine." Stella glanced at the wall suspiciously, it looked like something just moved in the corner of her eye and she kept one eye trained on it as they walked past. "But you can't just ignore us, especially Sky. Did you know that Diaspro came by to bring him out of the fight and he stayed to help? I know he screwed up, but that fight is like a reality slap and I don't want you to be so angry at him, that if something happens. If we don't win, then you'll regret not making peace with him for the rest of your life." She knew that she had been saying that they had to keep trying and was the one to give Bloom the 'importance of having hope' speech, but that didn't mean she had that much hope herself.

Bloom sighed, glancing around too, "I get it, I guess, and I am thankful that you all came with me and not total strangers." She slid her gaze to Sky, "But I can't just jump back into what we had-whatever it was-blindly."

"I'm not saying you kiss and make-up. I'm saying you just give him a chance to apologize and say his piece. Maybe be his friend, but just give him a chance to apologize. The rest is up to you." Stella turned back to the front as Knut led them further into the tunnel, not all of the tension leaving her back. She still felt like something was off and that they had just walked into another trap, but she just kept her steps short, saving her energy if she needed to run.

She was right to prep herself, because the minute they stepped through another archway, a slimy green thing with misplaced eyes screeched at them and began to leap at them. She grabbed Brandon's arm as they ran past him, dragging him down the tunnel they had just traveled as the thing chased after them momentarily before stopping.

Stella mentally decided right then and there, that she was never going to travel tunnels with Knut again.

* * *

After several more traps, including water pouring on them and almost drowning them, worms/snakes tying them up and squeezing the breath out of her lungs, and big ant-like creatures chasing them (Stella would forever be haunted by the fact that she sat on one), they had finally slowed to a bit of a standstill. She was so not ready for all of this exercise, Stella panted, leaning against Brandon as she tried to regain her breath.

"Oh yeah, we'll get out of here no problem, right!" Stella gritted her teeth as she exhaled, standing up straight even though her legs wobbled with the effort to. She was tired and annoyed, and she really wanted to take a nap in a nice comfy bed rather than a hotel room bed and the couch she had fallen asleep on last night. She knew she was acting like a toddler when she stomped her foot, but she couldn't help it, this was just working her last nerve and she really wanted to sucker punch all three Trix sisters.

Knut put his hands up defensively, "It's not my fault. This place is full of smells." Knut paused to sniff the air, one hand leaning against a wall. "Hang on a second, I know that smell." The wall suddenly cracked, and he fell through a hole in it.

Stella blinked, "Well, that's one way to get rid of someone who's annoying you." She said as they all moved to the hole to peer down it. Bloom elbowed her slightly, "What? You can't tell me we all weren't thinking it." She leaned forward, a slide-well it was probably a big pipe and not a slide-was a bit far away from the new hole in the wall Knut had created, and Knut had fallen in it and slid down the pipe.

"Is it safe?" Bloom gripped onto the wall, and Stella felt slightly sick looking down. She knew it was an irrational fear, but she absolutely detested heights, especially ones that might limit her from using her magic to get safely onto the ground. Trying to keep her magic hidden from the Trix to avoid detection was probably one of the worst decisions she had ever made.

Sky backed away and Brandon inched them all away from the hole, Stella felt immediately grateful without the wind whipping against her face and she gripped onto the end of his cape a little tighter than necessary. "Only one way to find out." He ran forward and leapt out, landing in the center of the slide-pipe and steadying himself using the edges. "Ok girls." He called back. "Jump as far as you can, and I'll catch you."

Bloom nervously glanced at Stella before shaking her head resolutely and backing away to get a running start before jumping. Stella forced herself to watch Bloom land on the edge of the slide and Sky immediately pulled her into it and slightly push her down. She went down, a sharp yelp escaping her as she went. Stella inched away from the opening, "I'm not going to make it across." She called to Sky, shaking her head rapidly.

"You have to try Stel, come on. I'll catch you." Sky went to the edge and held his arms out. Stella immediately began shaking, violently shaking her head and Sky stared at her in surprise.

Brandon caught on pretty quickly, "Don't worry Sky, me and Stella will go together, you go on down." He called out as Stella backed further and further away from the opening. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't. She just couldn't, the slide-pipe was too far away, and she wouldn't make it. "Calm down, sunshine. You're not going to jump, it's ok." He wrapped his arms around her, steadying her shaking and kissed her forehead.

Tingles traveled up and down her spine at the sensation and Stella relaxed in his grasp. Brandon slowly unwound his arms from around her and turned around, kneeling over. "You're going to give me a piggy-back ride?" Stella tilted her head to one side, looking back and forth between him and the hole in the wall before slowly inching over to him and climbing onto his back. "Aren't I a little heavy for you to make the jump with, what if we fall?"

"Do you trust me?" Brandon stood up, adjusting her on her back and Stella wrapped her arms around his neck, trying not to choke him.

Stella glanced once more out of the opening before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, "I do." She whispered, and he nodded, backing himself away from the hole to give himself a running jump-start into the pipe.

"Then hang on tight." Brandon said before he charged forward, and they were in mid-air for a second. Everything seemed to slow down as gravity pulled them down and Stella interlocked her fingers tighter around his neck, all caution of choking him thrown to the wind. She squeezed her eyes shut, yelping when they stopped flying through the air. "You can let go now, sunshine. We're safe." He said, a hint of teasing in his tone and Stella felt her face flush as she slid off his back and onto the slide-pipe.

She hadn't registered where they were until now, the Cloud Tower garbage dump. Of course, Knut would lead him to the most disgusting place on campus, even the kitchen and bathrooms were much cleaner than this place.

Brandon slowly pushed them down the slide and it was like riding a roller coaster, adrenaline flooding her senses as they practically flew down. She grinned, feeling the wind push through her hair, despite the smell, it felt nice, even for just a moment. Once it ended, she fought off her disappointment and got up, pulling Brandon up with her. She couldn't help herself, he had just helped her, in a way, conquer one of her fears by just knowing the solution. She didn't care if it ruined their tender friendship or not, she kissed him.

It was only a peck, but it meant so much to her, it was all of her feelings that she had suppressed building and boiling over. She quickly pulled away and glanced at her knowing friends and Knut and flushed bright pink.

Stella cleared her throat, trying to piece herself back together after the heat of the moment thing had happened, at least she was going to tell herself that and worry about it later. She would worry about the consequences of kissing him later, now they had a mission and she needed to focus.

"I-It's Cloud Tower's garbage dump." Stella pinched her nose shut, the scent was a bit overwhelming but not as overwhelming as the fact that she had crossed a line with a friend and dragon, he brain needed to shut up. "Eww, it stinks." Stella pointedly ignored the knowing look Bloom was giving her.

Bloom walked over to Knut, "Let's give Knut a hand, come on Stel." Stella sighed, before following after her, she wouldn't just give up her reservations about Knut, despite everything he had done for them. Maybe not until this was all over. "So, what was that all about?" Bloom gave her a knowing smirk.

"I'm afraid of heights and he just helped me down the slide, that's all." Stella insisted, meeting Brandon's eye before blushing and looking away, hooking her hand underneath Knut's arm and trying to lift him up.

"Then, why are you blushing?" Bloom's smirk got slightly larger, "And you kissed him, I'm pretty sure that was not nothing."

Stella gave Bloom the stink eye as the guys walked over and helped lift Knut to his feet. Once that task was accomplished, Stella observed the dump, she had never really been here once in her schooling at Cloud Tower. Honestly, she had no idea where the dump even was in the school, meaning she had no idea where they were at in the school. She had heard rumors of the garbage dump containing a great deal of bugs though. "Don't you remember the rumors about this place, Bloom? They said there were a lot of bugs here, really big bugs."

Bloom nodded, her face pondering. "I kind of do and I kind of don't. Let's just keep an eye out for anything while we try to find our way out of here."

"Didn't you girls go here? Don't you know the way out?" Brandon asked, unsheathing his sword, when he had sheathed it, Stella had no idea, probably during her little freak out with the height thing.

Stella rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but it's not like we made it a routine to travel to the dump every weekend. I don't think anyone other than the staff actually knew where it was, until now, that is." Stella maneuvered around the small piles of trashing, some of it stacked up so high, it was like a mountain, while others remained almost buried in the dirt.

"What was that?" Bloom suddenly glanced in one direction, and Stella tried to hear what Bloom heard, but she came up blank.

Sky shook his head, moving to go in the opposite direction. "I don't know, and I don't want to know." He motioned for everyone to follow him in order to move in a different direction. Stella could understand his worry; any sound could mean the Army of Decay was trailing them and she knew full well that she was not equipped enough to handle those monsters. She wanted to grab Brandon's hand, to offer him some comfort because she knew Sky's worry also extended to him, but she refrained from doing so for the minute.

She didn't want to admit it, it would cause her to cry and she didn't want to cry, but she had a feeling she had just ruined their friendship. Especially, if he didn't feel the same way about her as he might have had she continued to be a fairy. The whole her-might-be-evil thing might have permanently made him realize he deserved a girl that didn't struggle through her emotions and wasn't a disowned princess. He deserved a princess. He deserved so much more than her.

Knut suddenly gasped as the ground rumbled around him, "Uh oh. Dump roaches!" He suddenly called up as seven red and black roaches suddenly surrounded them. They weren't small, either, they almost went up to Stella's waist in terms of height and probably weighed more than her if they pinned her to the ground. So, these were the bugs she had heard only rumors about from other classmates. They were literally like their namesake, eating everything and anything that ever came to the dump.

Including living organisms.

"Knut, will they attack us?" Sky asked, holding his sword so that it was pointed to the sky in case they weren't offensive creatures.

One roach grabbed Knut's foot and pulled it up to the roach's mouth, revealing dagger-sharp teeth. "Yeah." Knut said while the roach did so. Bloom grabbed a stick and launched herself at the roach, smacking Knut's foot out of its claws and the roach backed away from her, hissing with its teeth barred. "For a fairy with no powers, you sure pack a punch." Knut grinned and Stella tried her best not to wrinkle her nose, backing away from the roach that was eyeing her, Brandon stepping in front of her.

They had agreed to not use their powers in order to not alert the witches that they were there, but if something went dangerously wrong, then they would use their powers. Stella was inching more towards the usage of her power, feeling the sun through the clouds, if only barely. "Thanks." She heard Bloom say to Knut, even though her eyes were focused on the roach in front of her, watching its every move. "Look out!" Stella turned around, half-expecting to see one launching itself at her, only to see one grab an unsuspecting Sky and hoist him up by his stomach.

"Brandon, don't. Bloom and Knut can look out for Sky. We need to focus on these guys." Stella halted Brandon from interfering. Brandon glanced over at Sky, looking torn between his duty and survival. "If we turn away from them, they'll take advantage and hit us in the back." Brandon was still looking over there, but he was also focused on the roach in front of them, his hand tightened into a fist on the hilt of his sword.

"Who's that?" Stella didn't look behind her until the roach stopped moving and slightly inched away. When she looked behind her, there was a figure riding one of the roaches, one that was slightly larger and had a pink tint to it's red, black, and gray coloring. Stella cocked her head to one side, curious of the mystery person's choice of clothing, a dirt and trash-covered cloak that hid the person's entire appearance from view.

The stranger used his weapon to smack the center of the roach and the thing released a loud hissing screech before flinging the stranger off and backing away. The stranger-male by his stature-landed in a crouch, fingertips brushing against the ground. The cloak hid the person's face from view, layered in mismatched rags that looked half-hazzardly sewn together, like a fashion spell gone wrong.

In the corner of her eye, she noted that all the dump roaches were backing away speedily, "Guys, look they're all going away." Stella pointed to them, stepping out of the circle they had sealed themselves in.

"That's right." The mystery guy lifted himself to his feet, one hand held over the fabric that sealed his cloak and the other loosely holding onto the weapon. Stella furrowed her eyebrows, his voice sounded familiar. "The one I attacked was the leader." He explained, turning slightly to face them, the bottom half of his face visible, lips curled into a smirk.

Sky smiled, a tinge of nervousness staining his expression as he stepped closer to the cloaked person, one hand on the hilt of his sword. Stella shared a glance with Bloom, exasperated with the boys, before she rolled her eyes. "Hey, uh, who are you anyway?" He lifted one hand to scratch the back of his neck, his actions betraying his nerves.

The smirk widened, a hint of teeth visible and Stella crossed her arms, already placing a face to his voice before he had allowed the cloak to fall with a slight flourish. "What? You don't recognize your old friend anymore?" Riven grinned, his violet eyes somewhat haunted but there was the usual cocky arrogance there that hid his emotions. Stella wasn't that surprised to see him, he had been under Darcy's spell for an extensive period of time so of course she would have something to do with his absence.

There was also a hint of apology in his eyes, hinting that he wasn't under the spell anymore, but Stella could still sense the traces of it surrounding him like a bad smell. Or maybe that was the fact that he had been wearing something he found in the garbage dump.

"Riven." Sky looked torn, a part of him happy to see his friend but another part of him wary because the last any of them had seen him he was under a spell. Brandon put a hand on his shoulder, an unusually cautious look in his chocolate gaze.

Stella rolled her eyes again, "Don't worry you two." She walked over to Riven, pinching her nose in partial disgust. "Dragon, Riven, you stink more than usual. What did Darcy do to you? Dunk you in a swamp?" She nudged aside the cloak with her shoe, resisting the urge to gag.

Riven looked briefly uncomfortable before his expression relaxed. "She did more than just dump me in a swamp." He folded his arms across his chest, his expression shifting into dark amusement. "Anyways, what exactly are you guys doing here? I mean you were expelled." He jabbed a finger at Stella, "You two are the typical heroes that the Trix despise." He jabbed his thumb at Sky and Brandon, "You betrayed them." He glanced at Knut, "And you, well they _hate_ you." Riven settled on Bloom.

Bloom looked briefly uncomfortable, her arms wrapped around herself vulnerably. "It was my idea." She didn't lift her gaze from the ground. "It's my fault they managed to raise the Army of Decay. I have-well had-the dragon flame and when I left Magix after the exhibition, they followed me home and took my powers." Stella frowned, worried, before she walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

Riven gaped at her, "T-The dragon flame. The source of the magic universe was in _you_." He shook his head, dismissing Sky's glare with a wave of his hand. "Sorry, I just, I can't believe it. I'm so sorry, that sucks." Riven seemed at a loss for what to say, his eyes conflicted and his hand outstretched before he drew back into himself. "But that doesn't explain why you all came here."

"We figured the Trix must be keeping the dragon flame close, so I came here to see if I could get it back and y'know stop the Trix." Bloom rubbed the back of her head, her eyes finally lifting from the ground.

Riven opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by the ground rumbling underneath their feet. "The Army of Decay." Brandon hissed under his breath, head whipping towards Knut. "Knut, do you know the way from here? I don't think we have the man-power for another fight." His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, the brilliant green color of his sword shining against his face.

Knut glanced around, wide-eyed. "Y-Yes. Come on. We have to hurry." He gestured them to his right and they took off running.

* * *

Shadows danced across the tunnel, illuminating the murky brown corridor, they were just a breath away from the hallways and away from the door that separated them from the garbage dump and Army of Decay. Knut snatched one of the torches off the wall, the orange flame licking at the torch and creating dancing figures in the air. Stella exhaled heavily, leaning against Bloom slightly for support, she was not physically active enough to be running from entire armies of monsters.

She glanced up, her side aching, and surveyed the people in front of her. Everyone was accounted for, Sky, Riven, and Brandon lingering a bit further away, whispering. Stella quirked an eyebrow at the trio, before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the tunnel, the boys were probably updating Riven on the status of Red Fountain. Glancing back for a single second, she saw the flash of concern splayed across Riven's face before it disappeared so quickly it could have been a trick of the light.

"Ok. Knut, which way do we go?" Bloom seemed to have finally caught her breath, standing straight up and not as hunched over as she had been before, when they had all piled against the door to keep it shut before hurrying down the tunnel until the door disappeared out of sight.

Stella shivered, she could still feel the monstrous creatures around them, like a wall sealing them in an area, rubbing her bare arms with her hands. Goosebumps tickled at her fingers, and she glanced back at Brandon, who wasn't looking at her, imprinting the way he looked in her mind. Even though, the mission had started already, they were most certainly at Cloud Tower and soon the Trix would know they were there, if they didn't already.

She was scared. Terrified, even, because this may be the last time they were all ok. There was no telling what was going to happen while they were here.

Knut scanned the tunnels, sniffing the air before pointing in one direction. Stella ignored the conversation they had, their words traveling in one ear and out the other. Her right ear chimed, and she instantly put a hand to her ear. A single glance around showed that everyone with ear pieces had heard the hourly check-in time. She pressed the button on her ear, confirming that she was safe and hearing the familiar static that made her wince, before a voice cleared it up. "Hello Stella, how is the mission coming along?" She closed her eyes, trying to put a face to the voice.

Faragonda.

Opening her eyes, she glanced around, everyone was looking at her, "The mission is successful so far, we have reached Cloud Tower." Stella answered after a heartbeat. She debated telling the woman about Riven, but opted not to, letting the connection die with farewell words of encouragement. She glanced over at Riven, "We all have ear pieces set to invisibility mode, so we can reach Alfea." Stella explained briefly.

Riven nodded, a look of understanding passing across his face. "Tecna or Timmy, I'm guessing."

Stella nodded. "So, what in the world were you doing in Cloud Tower's garbage dump?" Sky broke the silence as they began walking in the direction Knut had pointed to, his sky-blue eyes trained on Riven.

Riven furrowed his eyebrows, his lips thinned into a straight line that curled slightly downwards at the corners. "Darcy turned on me." He glanced away, his expression giving very little away to the emotion burning in his violet eyes. "I was trying to escape the dungeon the Trix locked me in and I landed in the garbage dump." Riven ran a hand through his hair, glancing back at the rest of the group, his eyes filled with remorse. "You guys, I'm sorry for how I acted, all the stuff I did."

Sky placed a hand on his shoulder, laying his arm across Riven's back. "It's ok." Sky smiled, "I'm glad to have you back."

Brandon glanced in between them, "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to you two being civil." His lips curled upwards at the corners, Stella tried to look away, but she couldn't stop staring.

 _Dragon, I have issues._ Her lips thinned into a straight line as she looked at the walls of the tunnel, "Knut has finally found the way to Cloud Tower." Bloom moved to walk ahead of them, trailing behind Knut, who was still holding the torch that lit the way. Stella barely listened to the responses to the proclamation, she was lost in her own thoughts of her moment with Brandon, he was acting like nothing had happened.

She inhaled shakily, if he could act like nothing had happened, then so could she. Her heart beat unevenly in her chest as she kept her pace with the rest of the ground, her eyes on the ground as she tried to dodge puddles of icky-looking stuff. She had chosen to wear ankle boots with a slight heel that were slowly inching towards uncomfortable, distressed dark blue jeans, and a black shirt that flared out slightly at the bottom half with quarter-length sleeves. Stella curled a finger around a loose hair that had escaped her ponytail, worrying at her lower lip.

Her thought flickered back to her parents, they had no idea where she even was, did they? Briefly, she wondered if they still cared, if they were worried about her being in Magix, at the center of danger. Contrary to her own choice to renounce her throne, she still missed them, they were her parents and things hadn't always been terrible, the good memories just had been pushed to the back of her mind.

Now, they played out like a movie in front of her eyes and her heart ached in her chest.

* * *

Eventually, the tunnel widened out to reveal a corridor, every few feet marked by a purple structure piece and paintings and other artifacts hanging on the walls. Stella glanced around, bewildered, she had never even heard of this section of Cloud Tower, it wasn't in any of the maps she had seen. She glanced down the hallway in front of her, watching as it curled with identical doors lined up on each side, shadows making the area darker and more sinister.

Furrowing her eyebrows together, she dug her thumbnail into her pointer finger, trying to ease her racing heart. Dark tendrils of hysteria clawed up at her throat but she swallowed roughly, forcing down the panic attack ebbing at her. A hand touched the small of her back, "Breathe, Stella, just breathe." Brandon whispered in her ear, breath ghosting over her neck. "It's ok, we'll be fine." She didn't know how he just knew how she was feeling at the drop of a hat, but he always knew how to help her.

She reached blindly behind her and grabbed his hand, interlacing their fingers. Meeting his gaze, she tried to communicate with her eyes, she was terrified, point blank. She was so scared that something was going to happen to them, to him, so scared that he didn't know that she really cared about him, that everything from the exhibition wasn't important anymore. She could forgive and forget about it. He squeezed her hand, a reassuring smile on his face.

"I don't remember these corridors showing up _anywhere_ on the map in the beginning of the year." Bloom frowned as she regarded the corridors with curiosity mixed with wariness. She turned to look over her shoulder, eyes meeting Stella's. "But, maybe my memory sucks, we didn't really go any further than to classes and the library from the dorm room."

Stella shook her head, a wane smile tugging at her lips. "I'm not going to argue about your memorization skills. I sat next to you in Ritual Arts 1, you sucked at it." Bloom stuck her tongue out in response. "But I don't remember these corridors either, the Trix must have added a new addition to the school. Question is, how long have these been here? Because they don't look that recent."

Knut nodded his head, "Here we are." He didn't sound enthusiastic about it, eyeing the hallways in front of them. "And that's where the Trix hide all their secrets." Knut pointed a large finger at one of the corridors with mist-like fog hovering just over the floor.

"Been here. Done that." Riven said, "The Trix weren't really into gossip time, but I can guess that they used an illusion spell to keep this place hidden from Griffon and the teachers, and any students who knew about it knew better than to go up against the most powerful witches on campus." He explained, before motioning for Brandon to follow him. Stella glanced up at him, before nodding for him to go, "Let's see if we can find Mrs. Griffon."

Both of them turned around after heading down a different corridor, Riven with his arms crossed and Brandon with his sword balanced over his shoulders. Brandon met her gaze, "Be back soon."

Stella wanted to go with them, but held her tongue, she may have been in this school for so long, but she had no idea where Griffon could be and even then, she would only slow them down. It just made more sense to send those two to find the students, but it didn't lessen her worry, sure, she knew the guys were heroes-in training-and could handle themselves, but she didn't like the idea of separation. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, turning slightly so Brandon wouldn't be able to see her displeasure, a few seconds later she heard their footsteps trailing away.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute." Sky promised after them before gesturing for Knut to lead the way. Knut continued to move, a slight tremor in his step as he led them down the corridor. Stella sighed, before she heard something that sounded _slimy_. Whipping her head around, she scanned the area behind them, but didn't spot anything amiss. "Stella, you coming?" She glanced back to Sky, Knut and Bloom had already trailed ahead but Sky lingered at the edge of the hallway, where the corridor turned.

Stella shook her head to clear, sliding one last glance over her shoulder before speed-walking over to him. "Yeah. I just thought I heard something that's all." She hugged herself, hands gripping each of her upper arms. "This place gives me the creeps, especially since this was right underneath of us and I had no idea that it even existed. And I doubt Griffon knew about it either since she would have probably ripped the Trix a new one or sent them to the detention dimension if she found out what they were planning."

"I don't think anyone had a clear idea what they were planning." Sky said, his expression solemn, before he cracked a smile. "I mean, if my parents had known, they would have locked me in my room covered in bubble wrap."

Stella laughed, remembering how overly protective Sky's parents had been on the occasions that she had met them. The last time she had seen them was before her parents had gotten a divorce, and they were still as cold as ice with marble-like faces. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure your mom would kill you if she found out you were in the center of all of this." She said before back-pedaling, "Well, not entirely in the center, but close enough to it." Her gaze slid to Bloom, who was oblivious to their conversation and looking from door to door, each door having miniscule differences in the symbols on it.

Sky paused, "I wanted to tell Bloom before any of you girls, but I-I cut off my arranged marriage with Diaspro." He looked away. "I-I just don't love her like that and I don't think I ever will, and I'm sorry, for everything. You were my childhood friend and I guess I didn't want to admit that to you, especially after everything with your parents being in an arranged marriage and getting a divorce."

"Yeah, I was hurt. Sky, we grew up together, all three of us and it did hurt that you couldn't tell me that, but I can forgive you because I get it, not talking about it made it seem like it wasn't real. Like it wasn't even happening." Stella glanced at Bloom before looking back at Sky, "And I know Bloom's hurt too, for slightly different reasons, but I know that she'll forgive you, especially with the whole we could be killed by an Army of red gigantic bugs."

The corridor abruptly ended and Stella stopped in her tracks, staring up at the door in front of them, it was a large set of medium brown doors with a yellow-to orange flame on each door that was surrounded by a rich shade of brown with some parts of the door acting as smoke. Stella was immediately on her guard, it couldn't be that easy, could it? A crow flew overhead, close to the ceiling, it had hung to the doorframe which also resembled a fire-like stature. "It must be in here." Bloom said, walking to the door and resting her hand against the surface.

"Bloom, wait, it seems to easy." Stella held a hand out, "Think about it, wouldn't the Trix have this door more guarded or something if it was the most powerful magic in the universe?" She pointed out, "I think it might be a trap."

Bloom turned to look at her, "It has to be here." She insisted before she pushed the door open. Stella sighed, rubbing her temple in between her pointer finger and thumb before following Bloom into the room. In the center of the room, on an elevated platform was a giant chalice with jagged thorn-like stones sticking out of it and green ivy dipping in an up-and-down design around the dark gold-colored chalice. A yellow-orange fire burned inside of it, illuminating the entire room to the point at which both Sky and Knut shielded their eyes momentarily. "The Dragon Flame. I found it."

Stella crossed her arms, "Um, hello, weren't we here too?" She muttered and Sky sharply nudged her, shaking his head at her. Bloom stepped closer, before gasping and backing away, almost tripping over her feet as the atmosphere in the room swiftly changed, the flame turning into a block of ice and the temperature swiftly dropping.

High-heels clicked against the floor and Stella turned around, the Trix were in the room, Icy in the center like always with Darcy to her right (Stella's left) and Stormy on the opposite side. "You lose." Icy put a hand on her hips, a smug smirk dancing on her lips and Stella glared at her, conjuring a spell in her hand. "That's not the Dragon Flame, Bloom." Icy stared down at Bloom, before her eyes widened as a large sound came from behind them and a blast of greenish-blue light flared up behind them. Stella barely had time to pull Bloom away before the Trix were flung against the wall.

"Ouch, that looked painful." Stella smirked, her voice taunting as Bloom glanced over to greet their helper.

"Mrs. Griffon." Bloom looked slightly torn as she greeted the green-skinned headmistress. Stella glanced over to the woman too, instantly feeling uncomfortable as she remembered her last encounter with her when she had been expelled from her second most-popular magical school in the Universe. She was immensely grateful that glare in the woman's eyes was not directed at her, especially considering the fact that she was radiating a high level of power.

"Good evening girls." Mrs. Griffon began to walk into the room, green magic outlining her every feature, her eyes glowing so much so that Stella could barely see the real color of her eyes.

Stella shared a glance with Bloom, "Remind me to never get on her bad side again."

Icy was the first to recover from the attack, blue eyes cold as she put her hands on her hips and glared hatefully. "So, you managed to escape Mrs. Griffon." She said, standing taller as Mrs. Griffon began to conjure some purple magic in her hands, "And just what do you think you're doing?" Griffon continued to groan, before raising her hands upwards as two purple barriers began to separate them. "No!" It was the last word that managed to escape the barriers before they sealed up towards the roof, sealing off the profanities that escaped Icy's mouth.

Griffon turned to look at them, the glow fading away from her. "Run, you fools!" She ordered, and Stella immediately complied and made a run for it towards the door, lingering just behind the rest of the group in case Griffon needed a hand. She turned just in time to see Griffon glow green again before sealing up the entryway with sharp reddish rocks that covered the room from the barriers out to where Griffon had stopped. "Hurry, to the windswept terrace." Griffon turned to look over her shoulder.

Stella nodded, finally glancing over her classmates, who were wearing the mandatory robes with the school logo on them in a rich red-purple color. The darker robes made them all seem like androids, uniformed to march together, even the partial covering of the hood made it hard for Stella to discern who was who. "Psst. Stella. Over here." One of the girls hissed under her breath, waving Stella over as most of their classmates followed the headmistress. Bloom and Sky were up front as well, with Brandon and Riven on either side of the crowd, offering helpful hands to those who had sustained injuries while the Trix had launched their ambush. "Hey." Lucy greeted once Stella had managed to file in next to her, feeling her outfit stand out like a sore thumb.

"Hey." Stella said, casting her gaze over the other robed witches with Lucy. Cerise. Regina. Raven. Morgan. "So, what happened? How was the school taken down?" Stella asked, eyeing the girls cautiously, she didn't know how painful the attack had been, other than assumptions.

One of the girls next to Lucy flinched, cradling their hand slightly. "Well, they just showed up in the cafeteria. Exchanged some banter with Mrs. Griffon, before basically tossing us all the floor from the tables, no matter the height, then these creature-things locked us into a cell." Lucy answered, her cloak tilting as she eyed her friends, hood sliding back slightly to reveal her eyes. "What I don't get is: why? Why wait if they had all this power to basically take down the school? Why wait for some of us to become trained enough to use some spells to get down safely? I mean Griffon got some girls down safely as did some of the teachers, but a few of us had to use our own magic to do so and obviously didn't land like it was a bed." She lifted her hand from underneath her robes to gesture to a few of the girls in front of them.

Stella sighed, "I'm guessing you didn't get my message." Lucy gave her a blank look and Stella elaborated. "The Trix managed to get ahold of the Dragon Flame and I sent a message to you a few nights ago warning you about it. My guess is that they shut down the technical communication system so we wouldn't have managed to call for back-up from some of the planets."

One of the girls lowered her hood, "What?" Raven asked loudly. "How the hell did the Trix manage to get the most powerful magic in the Universe?" Her eyes were wide as she stared at Stella, before they narrowed, "And, how did you know they had it before the attacks?"

Stella shifted uncomfortably underneath her stare as the door flung open and wind practically shoved them all back down the staircase. A few of the girls even had to cling to the railing and to each other so that they could push upwards. Stella mentally sighed with relief, grateful she didn't have to be the one to answer all the questions, before frowning as she tried to lift her foot up the staircase, a challenge that was proving to be difficult.

"What is up with all this wind? It feels like we're stuck in a tornado!" Bloom's voice traveled down to her ears, and Stella shielded her face as the wind pushed and pushed against her.

Griffon responded, but the answer was lost in the wind, before the wind finally, and abruptly, stopped. "That was intense." Regina commented, opening one eye warily. She helped another student to her feet before they slowly crept up the stairs, the wind was better outside, but the gust still pushed Stella's hair off her shoulders and made her instinctively wrap her arms around herself. "Now, are you going to answer the question while Mrs. Griffon conjures a portal to Alfea?" She turned back to Stella, running her fingers through her unkept dark hair.

Stella sighed, "Well, as it turns out, Bloom is the lost princess of Domino and was the keeper of the Dragon Flame." She crossed her arms, now that a few days had passed, she suddenly was acutely aware of how pissed she had been at Bloom for simply walking away, ignoring the consequences of being untrained. There was a reason Stella had pushed for her to join one of the Magic schools, so that her magic could be controlled, rather than releasing an explosion if emotions ran to high. Especially now.

Lucy blinked, "So, wait a minute. Are you telling me t'witch was actually a pinky princess with the Dragon Flame?" She held up a hand, her other hand cupping her mouth as she tried to conceal her laughter. "Totally didn't see that cliché coming." Lucy rolled her eyes sarcastically.

Stella gaped at her in bewildered surprise, "Wait, what?" She shook her head, "I'm just going to go over there while I try to get over the fact that you view this as a cliché." Stella pointed over to the headmistress before quickly walking away. Was it really obvious that Bloom had been holding the Dragon Flame? Had it been that obvious that Lucy, a girl that barely knew Bloom, would remark on the cliché-ness so sarcastically? She shook her head to clear it, pushing the thoughts aside as she walked over to the group, climbing up the remainder of the stairs from the balcony they had exited on to the terrace.

Sky was lowering his finger from his ear as she approached, having already updated Faragonda and Saladin with their status. Pausing momentarily, Stella smirked slightly as she guessed another explanation for his finger to be near his face. "What's so funny?" Riven quirked an eyebrow at her, though the lingering upwards tug of his lips hinted that he had caught on to the joke.

"Nothing." Stella drawled out, pouring as much perky innocence into her voice as she could muster. "So, what's the plan with getting back to Alfea?" She directed to Sky, seeing as he was the closest to the group of teachers that were huddled together, whispering back and forth.

Sky sighed, "Griffon is consulting with the teachers." His eyes darted to the door that they had forced shut and used a few wooden planks that the witches had conjured to act as a barricade. "We don't have time for this, the Trix could be on their way any minute with their army." His hands turned to fists at his side and his eyes narrowed slightly with his jaw clenched. A muscle twitched in his cheek, also showcasing his frustration.

Bloom placed a hand on his shoulder and Stella wanted to look away slightly, it felt like she was watching a couple in a private moment, it looked so intimate. "Calm down, Sky. Mrs. Griffon is probably restocking on energy, it isn't easy to break out of a cell and hold back the Trix within the same hour." She said, her face flushing as she realized their close proximity when their eyes locked together and Bloom quickly brought her hand away and inched back a few steps.

Any conversation that would have continued was cut off as the ground seemed to rumble underneath their feet, hissing sounds crawling closer and closer with red bodies. Stella chanced a glance over the side, before being swiftly pulled back by Brandon as he tucked her against his side. "Careful, sunshine." He warned and Stella rolled her eyes, she appreciated his concern and understood it, but that didn't mean that she liked it. At the base of the tower, red crowds of the Army of Decay had formed and were staring to crawl upwards.

"I'll be fine, Brandon." Stella said, irritation pouring through her voice.

"Hurry girls." Griffon called to some of the students who were still on the staircase and they immediately sped up as they spotted the Army of Decay underneath them. "Those barriers won't hold the Trix for long. I'll conjure up a dimensional portal to Alfea." She spread her arms outwards and the teachers backed away slightly, but lingering a little bit further from each other, hands outstretched to give the headmistress a little bit of their energy. Griffon began to glow purple, and a little hole appeared directly above in between the stormy, dark clouds.

It was a bit of a strange spell, one Stella had seen before, but never really been involved with, she had preferred her own method of travel over that one, hearing how easy but unpleasant it was. Her classmates walked to the center of it and began floating upwards, their feet moving like they were stepping on an invisible staircase that led them into the sky.

"We must be quick." Griffon called over to them, not taking her eyes off the portal, hands still outstretched as if she was holding a plate that kept the portal open. "The creatures of the dark are coming!" Her voice raised and she lowered one hand, tilting her head slightly to look at them, while also keeping an eye on the portal.

Sky quickly stepped forward, before either Brandon or Riven could. "Mrs. Griffon. Get everyone out. I'll create a diversion." He turned to face the monsters, drawing his weapon and the blue gleam of his sword caught the sharp edges of his face.

Griffon looked like she wanted to protest, but her face sealed with resolve and she lifted her hand out to him. "Use this." Her hand turned the same purple hue as her magic and an advanced, sleek-looking levi-bike appeared in front of Sky. The bike had a purple-ish hue to it and looked almost like a levi-bike, but on closer inspection the bike had slight differences. Sky took a step towards the bike, but Brandon stopped him.

"Sky, wait-"

Sky held up a hand, cutting his best friend off, something Stella knew pissed Brandon off. "Someone has to make sure that everyone gets to safety." His sky-blue gaze slid past Brandon to look at the bike, a hint of amazement in his eyes as he eyed the bike like it was a brand-new toy. Stella could guess that that was also an incentive for him to linger behind, so he could ride a bike while also being reckless in order to make sure everyone stayed safe and protected.

Brandon's gaze darkened, "I'm not saying that someone doesn't, but it doesn't have to be you. I'm your squire, I took an oath to protect you."

There was no room for argument in Sky's gaze and he side-stepped Brandon to hop onto the bike, a seal of armor-like gear sliding over his Red Fountain uniform. Stella instantly walked over to Brandon and tugged him away from Sky slightly, hindering him from shoving the prince off the bike. She knew that he would probably do that if he could, and though the mental image was hilarious, they didn't have time to argue over who stayed behind or they all would be staying behind.

She also knew it was made worse by the Army of Decay and the nightmares they induced in Brandon.

A gray helmet, the same shade as the rest of his armor covered the top half of his head, a red screen covering his eyes and leaving the lower half of his face, nose and frown included. Strands of golden blonde hair slipped out from underneath, lightly grazing his shoulders. Stella slid her gaze over to Riven, who was watching the bike with a hint of envy splayed across his features, before rolling her eyes at the childish-antics of boys. "I'm coming with you." Bloom announced, sliding onto the extra seat of the bike, as the same armor covered her.

"Bloom, what? You can't just-"

It was Brandon's turn to hold her back as Sky pressed a few controls and the light on the front of the bike flared to life, Sky maneuvered the bike around the edges of the terrace, Bloom kicking at the leftover monsters while Sky rammed at them head on, tossing the ones that had managed to cluster together at the top to dwindle in numbers. Riven scoffed, "Good luck with that." He called roughly, before turning on his heel and running for the portal, all of the witches, including the teachers had already evacuated via the portal and all that remained was Brandon, Stella, Griffon, Sky, and Bloom.

"Come on Stel, they can handle it, let's just go." Brandon whispered as he tugged her to the portal, the hand that wasn't holding hers on the hilt of his sword.

Stella would have pointed out that he was just as worried as her. She would have demanded for Griffon to get them a levi-bike too, but she bit her tongue and chanced one final glance over her shoulder. Bloom and Sky had managed to kick all of the trash-monsters off and were now hovering in front of them. "Bloom, be careful." She gave Sky a meaningful look, before turning on her heel, ripping her hand out of Brandon's and following Riven up the portal.

* * *

It was pure white. Like an empty canvas, nothingness and numbness made Stella blink sluggishly, she tried to remember why she was here, but the memories scattered, ripping apart like puzzle pieces for her to put back together. She never liked puzzles. Or maybe she did. She couldn't remember. Was she floating? She tested moving her feet, but the ground underneath her felt solid enough, but tendrils of blonde hair floated around her, tickling her neck and her ears and her nose. She blinked, but it was like she hadn't blinked at all, wasn't blinking when there was a flash of darkness, but the white area? Room?

Whatever she was supposed to call it.

Blinking didn't cause any change, it was like the back of her eyelids had been painted white. "Everyone, come to me, come to me now!" A voice broke the silence, chattering the pieces of white so they cracked and broke apart, leaving behind a starlit sky. A hand grasped hers and suddenly she felt like she was being ripped into two, like her body was bending unnaturally and her stomach lurched with this morning's breakfast.

Everything rolled over and stretched and it was like her entire being fell apart in puzzle pieces before darkness settled in.

When she opened her eyes, they were in front of the well and Stella resisted the urge to throw up. Flora, Tecna, and Musa all swam into focus, with Faragonda and Griselda in front, wearing solemn expressions, though Faragonda's face broke into a smile, though sad, as she approached the group. Stella glanced down, seeing Brandon's hand holding hers and she was both grateful for his help with whatever that portal was-she now understood the rumors about-and angry. The anger was confusing at first, but then it became clear as to why she was angry. He had, like a hypocrite, told her that there was nothing to worry about when leaving Bloom and Sky alone.

Even though just moments prior to Bloom's unexpected announcement, he had wanted to shove Sky off the bike out of his duty. How was that not hypocritical?

Both of the headmistresses slowly approached each other, the warm smile still on Faragonda's face with her hands behind her back as if she was concealing a present while Griffon looked emotionless, though her eyes showed her relief, and walked with her hands at her sides. "Welcome to Alfea, Mrs. Griffon." Faragonda greeted warmly, a stark contrast to Griffon's demeanor, before inclining her head to survey the students. "I see that your students have followed you." The unasked question lingered in the air, _"what happened?"_

"Yes." Griffon answered, and Stella could not see her face to decipher the emotion lingering in her words. "It is thanks to both your and Saladin's students that we were able to escape from the clutches of those three power-crazed witches." A hint of gratitude lingered in her words.

Stella chanced a glance back to the group of five girls that she had become somewhat friends with, before jogging over to the pixie friends-Bloom had given them a group name, but Stella was absolutely _not_ going to call them something so frilly and girl-power ridiculous. The three girls called out to her, though their words mixed together to form a strange sentence, it was kind of creepy almost. Brandon had followed her over and it took a second to realize that they were still holding hands, a second of which heat crawled up her face, before she tugged her hand away and turned to speak to the girls, who were giving her knowing looks.

The look melted away from Flora's face, to be replaced with concern. "Stella, where's Bloom?" Flora glanced over to the group they had traveled with, Riven still talking to a few witches before going over to Saladin and Codatorta. All three soon disappeared from sight, having a private discussion over the situation of why Riven had been M.I.A. over the last few days.

"She was with Sky. They should have been back by now." Stella glanced towards the gates, before shrugging her shoulders. "They should be here soon, I'm not entirely sure how long we were in that portal." She held her stomach, making a sick face, "Remind me to never take an interdimensional portal like that again, I'd like to keep the things in my stomach there please."

Musa laughed, "Sure thing." She held out two finger guns.

"Perhaps Flora and I should do a scan of the forest." Tecna suggested, "Just in case something bad is happening to them."

Brandon shook his head, "I don't think you girls should perform a spell that large, yet. We still have to deal with whatever ambush the Trix are bound to release and though it sucks to say it: we need you girls to have plenty of energy to be able to deal with the Army of Decay." He shut down the idea, clenching his hands into fists at his sides, "Believe me, I don't want to leave them alone out there, but our training has made Sky perfectly capable of handling unlikely situations and Bloom can handle herself too." He quickly added the last part.

"I hate to say it, but I agree." Flora sighed.

Stella's eyes narrowed, "But, we can't just leave Bloom vulnerable to the Trix out there. We have to do something." Her finger nails dug into the palms of her hands hard enough to draw blood, frustrated tears gathering in her eyes.

"But, the Trix don't have anything to want from Bloom, they won't be trying to hunt her down when they would most likely be gathering their efforts against us." Tecna stated, her words slightly callous to Stella, and she bit her tongue, trying not to make a snarky retort, before deflating. They were right, they had to prepare themselves for the Trix and Sky and Bloom were perfectly capable of surviving together.

"I hate this entire situation." Stella muttered.

Musa nodded, "Me too."

Flora clasped her hands together, "Come on, I think there should be some food in the cafeteria." She said, turning to walk into the school. Stella took a minute to follow them, before she did, still glancing over to the woods with every step she took, hoping to catch of glimpse of Bloom's fiery red hair or Sky's blonde hair on top of the levi-bike, but sadly there was no bright light heading to Alfea or the sound of the engine as it dashed into the courtyard.

* * *

"Stella, do you want to talk about it?" Brandon asked after they had finished dinner, well it was an early dinner since he still had to do his part in the night watch in case the Trix tried to attack under the cloak of darkness. It seemed to be Darcy's forte in that sense. Stella gave him a blank look, uncomprehending what he was talking about, what did they have to talk about? The kiss? Or her anger towards him for him switching so easily to not wanting to search for Bloom and Sky? Brandon exhaled through his nose, a tinge of annoyance in his eyes. "Why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not." Stella snapped, realizing how that sounded as Brandon's eyebrows rose. "It's just, I don't get it. You were about to push Sky off a bike so that he wouldn't have to stay behind yet you expect me to be chill because Bloom decided to stay behind with him-like an idiot." She jabbed a finger at him, satisfied in how his eyes darkened predictably at the childish gesture of pointing fingers and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Believe me Stella, I'm not ok with leaving the person I swore an oath to protect, but we have bigger worries than those two, an example being the Trix." Brandon pointed out. "I hate it as much as you do and if I could I would be scanning the area with the owl to see if I could find them, but we can't make ourselves vulnerable, especially when the Trix could attack at any minute."

Stella deflated, "I know. I just, last time I left Bloom alone, she had her magic stripped by those _bitches_." She spat the word with as much venom as she could muster. Brandon cupped her face in his hands, thumb soothing away the heat in her cheeks at both the action itself and the idea of leaving Bloom and Sky behind. His eyes, brown like melted chocolate, bore into hers and she felt her knees go weak. She _loved_ him. The thought was startling, when did something she had dismissed as a measly crush turn into love? What did she even know about love?

Her parents weren't even close to prime examples of love.

"I-I-"

She was cut off by Timmy running full-force at them, and the moment was gone, Brandon dropped his hands swiftly and went to pat the hunched over hero on the back. Timmy took in a few heady breaths before straightening his spine and pushing his glasses up his nose, they had fallen down when he had hunched over to collect himself. Stella quirked an eyebrow, both grateful and upset at the intrusion, what had she been thinking? She couldn't just admit she loved someone to said person, especially if they weren't dating or exclusive or anything like that. He might even have a girlfriend back in Eracklyon or something.

"What's wrong, Timmy?" She asked, arms crossed as she emotionally collected herself, she didn't dare look at Brandon.

Timmy inhaled and exhaled heavily, "It's Riven, Saladin is about to expel him from school. Plus, they said something about calling in some police officials about Riven going to jail after this." He said, practically shouting the words.

Stella reeled backwards in shock, _jail_? They were actually thinking about sending Riven to prison? "Did you tell them about the spell Darcy used on him?" Timmy shook his head in response and she fought to keep herself from snapping at him. "Where are they? We need to tell them immediately, before Riven does something stupid to get himself arrested when it is not entirely his fault."

Timmy pointed in the direction he had came from. "They're in Palladium's classroom, I think." He added the last words quickly, pink coloring the tips of his ears. "I've never needed to come to the school that often so I don't really know."

Stella nodded, knowing exactly where the classroom was, and she took off running towards the classroom, when she approached the door, there were a few other students milling around that shot her weirded-out looks as she darted past them. She shoved open the door, startling Codatorta, Saladin, and Riven. "Young lady, you can not just-" Codatorta's entire face was red and vein protruded from his neck, anger and irritation coursing through him. "-interfere on personal business!"

She crossed her arms, quirking an eyebrow and cocking her hip out. "I can and I will." She gave Codatorta a challenging look, trying to look unbothered with the murderous glare he gave her. "I have proof that Darcy spelled Riven into doing her bidding." Stella winced, she had wanted to sit Riven down and explain everything lightly to him, but there was no point in doing so if he might be going to jail for something that wasn't his fault.

Saladin furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean, Stella?" He didn't ask how she had known to interfere.

She opted not to look at either Codatorta or Saladin, instead meeting Riven's bewildered gaze. "I'm so sorry Riven, I planned to tell you under better circumstance but I guess there aren't really good circumstances to tell you." She wrung her hands nervously before clearing her throat. "In one of the witch hangout spots, the café place, I saw Darcy and Riven sit down at a table, before they started dating and saw Darcy spell Riven. I would have tried to do something, but that kind of spell is not my area of expertise and I didn't even know if Riven would have believed me as long as the spell was still active." Stella explained, remembering the day.

Riven also seemed to remember that day and his jaw went tight as he sorted through his memories. Saladin and Codatorta shared a measuring look and Codatorta's face lost its angry sheen before he swiftly exited the classroom. "I will be running through your memories to double check on what Stella is saying, along with your own memories Miss Stella." Saladin gave them both a look before walking over to Riven, who inched away slightly, disbelief written across his features.

"Why didn't any of you tell me?" Riven demanded and Stella lost her response at the angry glimmer in his violet eyes. These past few minutes had shown the emotion she had seen out of him since the beginning of the year.

Saladin, the voice of reason, interfered before Riven's rage spiked. "My guess would be that it was a situation they had no idea how to handle Riven. You were under a very powerful spell and Darcy could have easily taken over and made you attack them if they tried to reveal it to you. Even revealing it to me would have put me in danger to Miss. Darcy." Saladin stated calmly and wisely. "Now, I need you to remain still and calm, some of these experiences may feel off and make you very tired, but I need to double check if what Stella is saying is true and shut down the link temporarily."

Stella gave him a confused look, "Why wouldn't you shut it down permanently?"

"Only the castor can fully shut down the link." Saladin said solemnly, "I can offer you some level of protection in your mind and awareness, but you are still vulnerable to Darcy." He sighed heavily and Riven put a hand to his head, before following Saladin to a desk where he was told to lay down. "Stella, if you wouldn't mind lending me some of your energy, it would be much appreciated." Saladin gave her a look and she walked over, standing on the other side of Riven.

She knew he wouldn't like anyone to witness this, but she also knew, deep down, he didn't want to be entirely alone without a friend there to support him. "Of course." She gave a weak smile, before looking down at Riven, "Timmy and Brandon will be outside when you wake up, ok?" Riven nodded slowly, rolling over the new information in his mind before closing his eyes and evening out his breathing.

Saladin put his hands on her shoulders and she put her hands on his shoulders, closing her eyes as she concentrated on transferring her magic through her arms to his arms and everywhere, they touched. She didn't have to open her eyes to see when Saladin removed one hand from her shoulder to put on Riven's head. In the corner of her mind, she could feel her energy draining and her knees shook with the effort to keep herself upright.

It took a long time, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because now Riven wouldn't be in as much trouble as serving jail time, but a curse because Riven had been under a spell and the effects of that were only just beginning. It would be a long time for Riven to consider himself willing to spend time with them without the lingering feelings of guilt. It might have been a few minutes or a few hours before she felt Saladin pull away slowly and she opened her eyes at the same time as Riven.

The look on Saladin's face said it all, before his expression became calm and soothing, she had been right about what had happened to Riven.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this long chapter, don't even try to lie, this was over 13,000 words long in just chapter itself, without the author notes and the beginning section. I am incredibly sorry for the long wait, I had to deal with some issues where I live that involved me not having access to my laptop for over two weeks and most of this chapter had been written but I had no way of accessing it. I am incredibly sorry and I hope the long chapter made up for it. **


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